Baptism: Difference between revisions
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"I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; '''one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all'''" [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/ephesians/ephesians4.htm (Eph 4:1-6).] | "I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; '''one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all'''" [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/ephesians/ephesians4.htm (Eph 4:1-6).] | ||
There is only one sacrament of Baptism. It consists of some kind of washing with water, from full immersion to something as simple as moistening one's finger and wiping a small part of the | There is only one sacrament of Baptism. It consists of some kind of washing with water, from full immersion to something as simple as moistening one's finger and wiping a small part of the recipient's skin; while washing the person, the minister says, "I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" [http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/matthew/matthew28.htm#v29 (Mt 28:29).] | ||
The ordinary ministers of baptism are deacons, priests, and bishops, but, in an emergency, any human being may baptize another, regardless of | The ordinary ministers of baptism are the ordained [[Holy Orders|deacons, priests, and bishops]], but, in an emergency, any human being may baptize another, regardless of the minister's age, holiness, religious affiliation, or sex, so long as the person administering Baptism understands in a general way what Baptism is and intends to baptize. In other words, people cannot be baptized by accident; the minister must have a sacramental intention. | ||
Every person who is baptized | Every person who is baptized by being washed with water and by the use of the Trinitarian formula is baptized with one and the same sacrament of Baptism. Liturgically and socially, there may be many differences between a Catholic and a non-Catholic baptism; the ordinary manner of speaking ("I was baptized Catholic" or "I was baptized Anglican") refers only to the church context, not to the effects of the sacrament. | ||
All of the baptized are members of the one | All who are baptized are baptized into (''immersed in'') Jesus by the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, so there is no such thing as "Catholic Baptism" or "Methodist Baptism." All of the baptized are members of the one Body of Christ, whether they are Catholic or not. By the grace of baptism, we are all born-again brothers and sisters in the very same household of God. This is the sacramental foundation of [[Ecumenism]]. | ||
== Many effects == | == Many effects == | ||
Revision as of 14:24, 13 March 2011
One baptism
"I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all" (Eph 4:1-6).
There is only one sacrament of Baptism. It consists of some kind of washing with water, from full immersion to something as simple as moistening one's finger and wiping a small part of the recipient's skin; while washing the person, the minister says, "I baptize you in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 28:29).
The ordinary ministers of baptism are the ordained deacons, priests, and bishops, but, in an emergency, any human being may baptize another, regardless of the minister's age, holiness, religious affiliation, or sex, so long as the person administering Baptism understands in a general way what Baptism is and intends to baptize. In other words, people cannot be baptized by accident; the minister must have a sacramental intention.
Every person who is baptized by being washed with water and by the use of the Trinitarian formula is baptized with one and the same sacrament of Baptism. Liturgically and socially, there may be many differences between a Catholic and a non-Catholic baptism; the ordinary manner of speaking ("I was baptized Catholic" or "I was baptized Anglican") refers only to the church context, not to the effects of the sacrament.
All who are baptized are baptized into (immersed in) Jesus by the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, so there is no such thing as "Catholic Baptism" or "Methodist Baptism." All of the baptized are members of the one Body of Christ, whether they are Catholic or not. By the grace of baptism, we are all born-again brothers and sisters in the very same household of God. This is the sacramental foundation of Ecumenism.
Many effects
The language we use about Baptism is filled with mixed metaphors.
| Image | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Baptism is a bath. | We are cleansed from Original Sin and personal sin. |
| Baptism (immersion) is a death and burial. | We die with Jesus and are buried in Him. “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him†(cf. Col 2:12). |
| Baptism is a birth. | We are born again--we rise to new life in Jesus. |
| Baptism is a journey. | We leave the kingdom of sin ruled by the world, the flesh, and the devil and enter the Kingdom of God. |
| Baptism is a commitment. | We vow ourselves to God and God vows Himself to us. |
| Baptism is a christening. | Like Jesus, we are anointed not with oil but with the power of the Holy Spirit. |
| Baptism is a Transfiguration. | We are divinized; we begin to participate in the very life of the Holy Trinity. |
| Baptism is a stream of living water. | The sanctifying grace given in Baptism is not a thing but a living relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit; the power of Baptism is alive and active in us at all times. |
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The Baptism of Jesus is the model of the sacrament of Baptism.
Just as Jesus was anointed (Greek: christened) with the Holy Spirit in His baptism, so are we. Baptism causes us to be "born [again] of water and Spirit" (Jn 3:5).
The sacrament of Baptism causes us to have new life (zoe; instead of just bios. We become children of God, which means that we have a new Father and a whole new set of family relationships with the Trinity and with each other.
Reflections
Benedict's message for Lent, 2011. During Lent, we meditate on how we are joined with Jesus in His suffering and death so that we may also be joined with Him in His resurrection.
Baptism is not just something that happened to us a long time ago in a faraway place. We are baptized into (immersed in) Jesus NOW, and through Him, we participate in His life with His Father and His Spirit.
Baptism infuses us with the supernatural virtues of faith, hope, and love.
Our new life in Christ is the foundation of all of the other sacraments. We use the power of Baptism in Confession, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Priesthood, and Anointing of the Sick.
We have to take possession of what we have been given. Money in the bank is dead. We need to invest the wealth that God has given us in Baptism.