RCIA Week of February 12
Baptism is the first Sacrament of Initiation, followed by the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Eucharist. The Sacrament of Baptism is done through the use of water. Water goes back to the Old Testament, where God used it to symbolize His love and protection around us. We often think of the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus, when God led His people to safety from the Pharaoh, when we think of saving from the waters. Or when Jesus turned the water into wine for his first miracle. Both of these remind us of water's power in our lives.
When you enter the Church and bless yourself with the Holy Water, it reminds you of our Baptismal promises that our parents, or ourselves, made to God. It reminds us of the Red Sea, when Jesus was baptized, John the Baptist, and so on. There is so much that happened around water in the Bible that it is only natural that our Sacraments start there.
When we are baptized, we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; The Trinity, and each time the Priest or Deacon says part of the Trinity, water is poured over the head of the person being baptized. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, it was a time when all three parts of the Trinity were present. Jesus himself was being baptized, God proclaimed from Heaven that this is His son, with whom He is well pleased, and a dove (representing the Holy Spirit) flew from the bushes. At this moment, all three persons of the Trinity are present, just like any Christian Baptism.
We do want to clarify one thing that might be a little confusing. If you have been baptized before, the Catholic Church recognizes it as long as it is done in the Trinity. So if you were baptized in another denomination and have photographic or written proof, the Catholic Church will accept it. The other thing is that you may only be baptized once. Many people have been baptized several times, but it only takes one baptism to fill you with life-long grace.
Symbols of Baptism are white garments, water, oil, and flames. Typically, when you see people being baptized, they wear white. It signifies their purity and what Jesus wore when he was placed in his tomb when he died. As we have already discussed, water signifies the freedom it has given to God's people. The Oil of the Catechumens will be placed on the forehead and the base of the neck. It protects us from all evil and helps us with the discernment we make. Finally, the Baptismal Candle, lit from the Paschal Candle, which lights all Baptismal Candles, reminds us that Christ is the Light of our World. These symbols all play a part in our ongoing formation.
Through baptism, we are given the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love (or charity). Through faith, we are given the foundation of our relationship with God. Faith begins our trust with God and helps us walk with Him when we begin to doubt. Hope is our pledge to salvation. When we have faith, we can have hope, which helps us be even closer to Christ in our darkest time. Finally, we have love or charity, which is the final thing we are called to do for God. When we love God so much, it shows on the outside and brings people closer to us. Through the love we have, we are showing the world who we are and what we believe in.
The rite of Baptism opens many doors between us and God. It erases original sin and marks us with Christ's love. It gives us the grace we need to interact with the people we come into contact with daily and allows us to share what we know with others.
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