The Sacrament of Baptism

This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. Of course, His baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River is a bit different from the sacrament of baptism in the Church, as John himself alludes: Jesus Himself, in the person of the Church’s minister, baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I’d like to take this opportunity to reflect on the effects of the sacrament of baptism, and how we might live this gift well. 

The word “baptism” comes from a Greek word that means “washing.” One of the main effects of baptism is to wash us of our sins, both personal sins that we have committed, as well as original sin. We can only undergo baptism once in our whole life, and so when we find that we have committed sins after having been baptized, what do we do? Of course, we go to confession! (We should all go to confession at least once a year, and perhaps even more frequently, especially when we are conscious of having committed some serious sin.) The sacrament of confession is a great gift, and whenever we are absolved from our sins in this sacrament we are restored to our baptismal purity. So going to confession is one ongoing way that we might live the gift of baptism well. 

Another main effect of baptism is that we are adopted into God’s family. We are no longer merely God’s “children” in a generic sense of having been created by Him, but now we truly become His sons and daughters by sharing in the Sonship of Christ. This is one of the reasons why we shouldn’t postpone baptism without a good reason, and why Catholic “parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptized within the first few weeks” after birth if at all possible (Code of Canon Law, can. 867 §1). 

Finally, the third main effect of baptism is that by it we are incorporated into the Church. This carries with it certain rights and responsibilities, for instance: the right to a Christian education (can. 217); or the responsibility to “lead a holy life, and to promote the growth of the Church and its continual sanctification” (can. 210). Baptism is the gateway to the other sacraments, which sanctify us and fortify us to live the Christian mission. 

Thanks be to God for the gift of baptism! Let’s not think of our own baptism as just something that took place in the past, but recognize its ongoing effects in our life, and so glorify God.