The Sacrament of Baptism

Sisters and brothers. Today, we’re going to talk about the great sacrament that

theologian Karl Rahner called the most radical act in human life. It is the Sacrament of Baptism. It is the sacrament by which we die to ourselves and are raised to new life, the life of Christ, the life of God.

This great sacrament in the Church, historically, has been intended for adults most of the time. But in our experience today, adults and children, infants, are brought into the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism. Important language for us that this Sacrament of Baptism is the introduction to us of the life of the Holy Spirit. We go from natural life to supernatural life in this great sacrament again, one in which so much happens. When we talk about the sacraments,

I mentioned before that every sacrament has a promise and delivers on that promise. There are several effects of the Sacrament of Baptism that we should keep in mind. When I was growing up, very often what we understood by the Sacrament of Baptism was the forgiveness of original sin. But the sacrament, particularly in the case of adults, it’s large.

It not only forgives original sin, but it forgives personal sin as well. So, you think about an adult who approaches Baptism through OCIA. They are given a clean slate to forgive every sin in their lives. That’s the power of Baptism. In terms of when we think about this sacrament, making us new. When it’s a little three week old infant, we don't think about so much. It’s so difficult to think of how that is made new. It’s already new. But when you take somebody in their 30s and say they are made new in Baptism, indeed, sisters and brothers, that is the promise of this great sacrament. The other effect of the sacrament is that we become adopted children of God. The God the Father has one child, as it were, and that is the Son, the second person of the Trinity.

But we are made sharers in the life of the Trinity and thereby become adopted sons and daughters of God. What a wonderful way to understand who we are as the beloved of God. As sons or daughters. We’re initiated and become members of the Church with the guarantee of every promise, every duty of the Church to us, and the obligation to fulfill our duties to the Church and to our fellow members in the Church.

We are bonded to other Christians, sisters and brothers. This is such an important thing for us to understand because not only are Catholics baptized, but Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, and our Southern Baptists, brothers and sisters. And when we recall, we are indeed all made brothers and sisters because we are bonded together through the one Baptism, as Paul tells us, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.

And so the Church teaches there is indeed one Baptism that makes us all brothers and sisters.

The next effect of the Sacrament of Baptism is that it configures us to Christ. We are then made capable of being Christ-like.

The Church says to us ultimately that we become Alter Christus, another Christ. And hopefully, that’s the story of our life, that through the journey of our lives, we take on more and more of the character, the goodness, the generosity, the love, the forgiveness, all those wonderful things that we see in the person of Christ that we become another Christ to others by the power not of our own achievement, not by the power of our own strength, but by the power of the grace of Baptism.

Baptism is one of three sacraments, sisters and brothers, that is so profound that it changes what we say is it leaves us with an indelible mark. It changes the very nature of who we are in Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. We are changed in such a way that we cannot undo what Baptism has done.

We can certainly reject the graces of Baptism, but the indelible mark, the relationship with Christ, being an adopted child of God, and being beloved in this particular way can never be lost to us.

Some natural questions come to us. One is what makes Baptism Baptism? And it’s really two things. It's the water and the words that are said.

There are some alternate signs that are associated with Baptism, such as candles and anointing with the oil of catechumens, the oil of chrism, and the white garment. But the centrality of Baptism or of the words as water is poured, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Any other words spoken do not have the effect of those words.

Water can be poured, it can be really poured, it can be sprinkled, or a person can be immersed. The fact is, water is a symbol of both our dying and our being washed clean. It’s a two-fold sign in the water of Baptism.

The Minister of Baptism, Priest, deacon, bishop, but also, under emergency circumstances, any lay person can baptize as well.

So it’s always good for us to remember not to be frivolous or lax about that and to take advantage of that. But in an emergency situation, if we need to, we should take action to baptize somebody who would willfully want to be baptized. That does bring us to the situation of emergency. Sometimes, people may have the desire to be baptized, but they don't make it to their Baptism due to a life accident or an illness.

We do believe in two forms of Baptism, which are, again, God's acts for us. One is the Baptism of desire, where a person desires and is willing to be baptized, but simply couldn’t get there because of some physical constraint perhaps. The other is Baptism by blood for those who are martyred in the name of Christ, even though not baptized, there is that occasion of Baptism by blood.

Sisters and brothers. In the end, the Sacrament of Baptism does indeed change our lives in such a radical way, and it's a wondrous gift for us to always remember. Baptism is never finished. It’s always an open invitation for us to a deeper holiness, a deeper faithfulness, a greater love, and a greater sharing of mercy to a constant call to renewal.

Reflection Questions:

1. How does Baptism transform a person’s identity in relation to God and the Church?

2. What is the significance of Baptism as an ongoing call to renewal and deeper holiness?

3. In what ways can we live out our Baptismal promises in daily life?