Our Great Commission, from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I AM with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Saint Peter’s Pentecost Sermon: ‘Let all know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified… when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be Baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”‘ (Acts 2:36-38).
Unless Baptized, you have no eternal Life in you (see John 3:5).
With Baptism, Christ is your spring of water welling up to eternal life (see John 4:14).
Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift. . . .
Saint Gregory Of Nazianzus
We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality,
bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift.
It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own;
grace since it is given even to the guilty;
Baptism because sin is buried in the water;
anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed;
enlightenment because it radiates light;
clothing since it veils our shame;
bath because it washes; and
seal as it is our guard and the sign of God’s Lordship.
What happens at a Baptism?
The Rite of Baptism includes:
- Reception
- Signing with the Cross
- Liturgy of the Word of God (if the Baptism is outside of Mass)
- Prayer of Exorcism
- Anointing with the strengthening Oil of Catechumens
- Prayer over the water, recalling the Holy Spirit of God hovering over the waters of Creation
- Rejection of darkness, turning to the light of Christ
- Profession of Faith
- Baptism in water
- Anointing with Sacred Chrism oil, incorporating the Baptized into Christ, who is the Anointed Priest, Prophet, and King
- Clothing with a white garment, the Baptized have ‘put on Christ’ (Galatians 3:27)
- Lighting of a Baptismal candle from the paschal candle; enlightened in Christ, the Baptized are to be light to the world (John 8:12)
- Ephphetha (see Mark 7:34), praying that they may soon hear the Word of God and profess the faith.
- The Lord’s Prayer
- Dismissal, after Blessings for the grace of God to be poured out on the mother, the father, and all present to witness the Baptism
Learn more about the who, what, where, and how of Baptism here, along with answers to common questions about Baptism in this short video.
Saint Cyprian wrote in the year of our Lord 253, that Baptism should not be withheld until the 8th day, as was done for infant circumcision. Rather, the marcy and Grace of God given in the Sacrament of Baptism ‘is not to be refused to anyone born of man’ (Letters 58:2).