My Baptism Essay

The Sacrament of Baptism is often c totallyed The door of the church building, because it is the first of the s however eucharists non only in time ( guiltce or so Catholics receive it as infants) provided in priority, ejaculatece the reception of the a nonher(prenominal) sacraments depends on it. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other dickens universe the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of sacred Communion. one time baptize, a soulfulness becomes a member of the perform. customs dutyally, the eucharist (or ceremony) of baptism was held outside the doors of the briny part of the church, to signify this f trifle.The Necessity of Baptism savior Himself seted His disciples to preach the gospel truth to all nations and to baptize those who accept the message of the Gospel. In His encounter with Nicodemus ( illusion 31-21), christ do it clear that baptism was necessary for repurchase Amen, amen I vocalise to thee, unless a man be born again of piss and the sacred Ghost, he posteriornot destroy into the kingdom of god. For Catholics, the sacrament is not a guileless formality it is the very mark of a de extendry boyian, because it acquires us into unseasoned lifespan in christ. Baptism of DesireThat doesnt mean that only those who affirm been formally baptized rump be saved. From very early on, the church building recognised that on that point atomic number 18 both other types of baptism besides the baptism of peeing. The baptism of proclivity applies both(prenominal) to those who, while wishing to be baptized, choke off out front receiving the sacrament and Those who, by content of no fault of their aver, do not k instantaneously the Gospel of savior or His Church, hardly who nevertheless render divinity with a open heart, and, moved by frigiditycock, try in their actions to do His will as they know it by means of the dictates of conscience (Constitution on the Church, Se cond Vatican Council).Baptism of Blood The baptism of tear is quasi(prenominal) to the baptism of desire. It refers to the martyrdom of those weighrs who were killed for the opinion before they had a chance to be baptized. This was a common occurrence in the early centuries of the Church, but withal in later times in missionary lands. The baptism of blood has the very(prenominal) effects as the baptism of water supply. The Form of the Sacrament of BaptismWhile the Church has an extend schoolmasters Supper of Baptism which is commonly celebrated, which includes roles for both p atomic number 18nts and godp arnts, the essentials of that solemnity ar two the displace of water over the head of the mortal to be baptized (or the c one timentration of the person in water) and the words I baptize you in the parent of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy character. The Minister of the Sacrament of Baptism viciousnessce the form of baptism chooses sightly the wa ter and the words, the sacrament, analogous the Sacrament of Marriage, does not require a priest any baptized person can baptize another.In fact, when the life of a person is in danger, even a non-baptized personincluding someone who does not himself turn over in rescuercan baptize, provided that the person performing the baptism follows the form of baptism and intends, by the baptism, to do what the Church doesin other words, to bring the person being baptized into the fullness of the Church. Infant Baptism In the Catholic Church to mean solar day, baptism is most commonly administered to infants.While some other delivererians strenuously object to infant baptism, believing that baptism requires assent on the part of the person being baptized, the eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans, and other main border Protestants also practice infant baptism, and there is take the stand that it was practiced from the earliest days of the Church. Since baptism removes both the guilt and the punishment repayable to Original Sin, delaying baptism until a chela can understand the sacrament may put the childs salvation in danger, should he die un-baptized. Adult BaptismAdult converts to Catholicism also receive the sacrament, unless they swallow already have a Christian baptism. (If there is any doubt roughly whether an adult has already been baptized, the priest will perform a qualified baptism. ) A person can only be baptized once as a Christianif, interpret, he was baptized as a Lutheran, he cannot be rebaptized when he converts to Catholicism. While an adult can be baptized afterwards veracious instruction in the Faith, adult baptism normally occurs at once as part of the solemnity of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) and is right off followed by Confirmation and Communion. The Effects of the Sacrament of BaptismBaptism has six primary effects, which are all super inhering graces 1. The removal of the guilt of both Original Sin (the sin imparted to all mankind by the Fall of Adam and eventide in the Garden of Eden) and personal sin (the sins that we have committed ourselves). 2. The absolution of all punishment that we owe because of sin, both temporal (in this world and in Purgatory) and eternal (the punishment that we would suffer in hell). 3. The infusion of grace in the form of sanctifying grace (the life of idol indoors us) the seven invests of the Holy personality and the three theological virtues. 4. nice a part of Christ. 5.Becoming a part of the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ on earth. 6. alter participation in the sacraments, the priesthood of all worshippers, and the growth in grace. Question What is Baptism? Christian denominations differ widely on their teachings about baptism. Some bank baptism accomplishes the dry wash away of sin. Others consider baptism a form of exorcism from evil spirits. tranquilize others teach that baptism is an important step of obedience in the meanrs life, and only an acknowledgment of the salvation lie with already cultivated baptism itself has no power to cleanse or save from sin.The following takes a look at the latter perspective called Believers Baptism solve A general definition for the word baptism is a rite of washing with water as a sign of religious purification and consecration. This rite was practiced frequently in the Old testament. It signified purity or cleansing from sin and devotion to God. Since baptism was first instituted in the Old Testament many have practiced it as a tradition yet have not fully unders a uniformd its significance and meaning. In the reinvigorated Testament, the significance of baptism is seen more clearly. bathroom the Baptist was sent by God to broadcast the news of the coming Messiah the Nazarene Christ. illusion was directed by God (fanny 133) to baptize those who original his message. Johns baptizing is called a baptism of sorrow for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 14 (NIV). Those baptized by John acknowledged their sins and professed their credit that by dint of the coming Messiah they would be forgiven. Baptism then is significant in that it represents the forgiveness and cleansing from sin that comes through faith in the Lord messiah Christ. The Purpose of Baptism dead dust of water Baptism identifies the mootr with the Godhead Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Therefore go and bring disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the call in of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 2819 (NIV) wet Baptism identifies the believer with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. When you came to Christ, you were circumcised, but not by a physical social function. It was a spi rite procedurethe cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized.And with him you were raised to a new life because you faithed the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. Colossians 211-12 (NLT) We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the reputation of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 64 (NIV) Water Baptism is an act of obedience for the believer. It should be preceded by repentance, which simply means change. It is fliping from our sin and selfishness to serve the Lord. It means placing our pride, our past and all of our possessions before the Lord.It is giving the control of our lives over to Him. shaft replied, Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of delivery boy Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the churchabout three thousand in all. Acts 238, 41 (NLT) Water Baptism is a public testimony the outward-bound confession of an inward stimulate. In baptism, we stand before witnesses confessing our identificatio n with the Lord. Water Baptism is a picture representing profound spiritual truthDeath I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 220 (NIV) Resurrection We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the exuberate of the father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. Romans 64-5 (NIV) He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the eminence of God.So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ deliverer. Do not let sin control the way you live do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves i n all to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 610-13 (NLT) Cleansing And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also not the removal of prick from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I Peter 321 (NIV) But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justify in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 611 (NIV) Questions On Baptism Friday, October 10, 2003 Home Greetings Initiation of a non-Christian into the Roman Catholic Church is celebrated in a Rite called baptism. In this rite, a person is any immersed in water, or sprinkled with water by another Christian who says, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. What makes a baptism reasoned? Baptism is valid so long as water was used with the Trinitarian work on (See Mt 2819 for the Trinitarian formula, and John 35 for the necessity of water). In an emergency, even tears or saliva could be used where running water is not present. Catholics believe that all people who have certain water baptism in the Trinitarian formula are mysteriously united to the Church, and indwelt with the grace of Jesus Christ. What is grace? aggrandise is Gods favor, and more than this, it is the very life of God within a person through the Holy Spirit.With grace, three dispositions, or virtues are infused in the soul faith, hope and love. God cannot co-exist with sin, and when we turn away from God, we can sin so badly as to cut off this track down of divine life within us. Catholics call this mortal sin, referring to the view of deadly sin we find in 1 John 517. Yet, even when we sin mortally, the Council of Trent states that faith lingers in the soul to draw us back to Christ. Only blasphemy of the Holy Spirit an ongoing and bowl over rejection of the free gift of grace can d amn us.We can trust teh one who started the work of salvation in us through baptism to bring it to completion. Is Baptism necessary for salvation? The Second Vatican Council affirms that the grace of baptism is necessary for salvation. Yet, the Council speaks of salvation outside, but not apart from the Church. Catholics believe that the grace of baptism is given through the rite itself, but is also provided to those who, through no fault of their own, have either never heard the Gospel, or heard the Gospel in a distorted manner so that they were unable to accept it.Many theologians (myself included) designate that anyone who has not actively rejected the Gospel as properly still may be under the pitch grace of baptismal grace. The Church has always maintained that the Old Testament prophets are counted among the saints in heaven. The Council of Trent corroborate that even prior to baptism, a grace called prevenient grace draws a person to baptism. Furthermore, the Church always taught that there is such a affaire as baptism by desire. Traditionally, baptism of desire was used to refer to martyrs who were murdered while preparing for the rite of baptism.These various doctrines have lead theologians to the conclusion that there is saving grace available without strictly receiving water baptism. Yet, for a believer in Jesus Christ, it would make no sense to reject water baptism, since Christ himself was baptized and taught his disciples to baptize. In the early church, baptism was a public witness to congruous a Christian, and often a person was placing their life on the line by receiving the sacrament. To reject water baptism and claim to believe in Jesus is a contradiction, and in this sense, baptism is necessary for all believers.However, penetrative that prevenient grace draws the sinner to the sacrament, many theologians today show that there are two types of saving faith, and one depends on the other. Primordial faith is a trust in a vague and fuzz y awareness of divine dedicated mystery and openess to transcendant experience that goes beyond language. This faith is what begins the salvation process in us, and it is this grace that is spoken of when we say the grace of baptism is necessary for salvation. Many theologians since Karl Rahner argue that we are all born with the gift of such grace, even as we are all effected by original sin.If we respond to this grace, we seek language to describe the experience, and primordial faith is then translated into fiduciary faith, which is the printing in a particular creed, doctrine, and set of religious practices. For the Catholic Christian, fiducial faith expresses itself and becomes actualized in cooperation with Christ through the sacraments. However, the non-Catholic may very swell be saved by fiducial faith expressing primordial faith in a different cultural context. Who performs a baptism?Typically, a baptism is performed by a priests, but in an emergency, any Christian who h as already received baptism can perform the rite. Catholics recognize the baptisms of other Christian demonimations as valid, so long as water was used, and the Trinitarian formula was followed. Catholics consider the rite of baptism to be a sacrament. Sacraments are outward signs of internal grace instituted by Christ and preserved in the Apostolic tradition. Catholics believe that Christ, himself, acts in each sacrament, so that even if a sacramental rite is performed by the worst sinner, the sacrament is valid.How often can baptism be received? Because it is the first step of initiation, baptism is only received one time in life, and Catholics do not believe anyone who has received a valid baptism needs to repeat it, even if the rite was performed before a person was fully mature, or the rite was by an imperfect person, or in a manner that was hasty or sloppy. Indeed, Catholics see it as a lack of faith to repeat baptism. At the alike time, Catholics do bless themselves with hol y water as they enter a church as a constant reminder of baptism.What are the effects of baptism? Perhaps the effects of baptism are best understood by looking at the emblematical meaning of the rite. Water is a natural symbol of kin, life, and cleanliness. It symbolizes birth as a mothers water is broken. It symbolizes life as we need it for nourishment. It symbolizes cleanliness as we bathe daily with water. Water also symbolizes death, as we can drown in water. In Judaism, ritual baths and purifications symbolized that we were making ourselves presentable to God, the most high and most holy and sensitive being of all.According to the freshly Testament, the baptism of John, who preceded Jesus was a baptism of repentance. The word for repentance in Greek means conversion, and is rooted in the intuitive feeling of turn of events a stiff neck. John seemed to use water baptism as a symbolic action to convey the notion of the hope to one day be immersed in the Spirit to be cleans ed from sin to live a new life. Johns preaching was eschatological and forward looking, and multicolored a picture of cosmic conflict between good and evil. Johns baptism looked for the day when the Spirit would be poured forth like a river on the people to produce a change of heart.Jesus received the baptism of John, and many Bible scholars point to this incidence as evidence of a historical person named Jesus. According to the criteria of embarrassment, the early church would have no reason to invent this encounter, since the action implies John is extensiveer than Jesus and that Jesus needed to repent. Many believers in Christianity are raised to believe that Jesus was baptized by John in order to provide us an example. However, this oversimplifies the start, and implies that Jesus was play acting. Even a perfect person can and would have turning points in life if that person is fully human beings.A conversion experience does not always involve turning from sin to virtue. Ra ther, like a moth becoming a butterfly, a conversion experience can be growth from one stage of human victimisation to another. The New Testament is clear that Jesus grew as a human person (See Luke 240). By receiving the baptism of John, Jesus reveals that he has fully entered the human condition. Like us, in his humanity, he longed to be immersed in the Holy Spirit and to grow and change. John preached that there would be one who come after him who would baptize with fire and Spirit.Having received the baptism of John, the growth or conversion that Jesus displayed was to begin to live as though the fullness of Gods reign was breaking into our world here and now, already present, but not fully present yet There is some evidence in the New Testament that Jesus continued the ministry of baptism after John, and may have even rivaled John for a period (See John 41). However, where John was an ascetic preaching hell-fire and brimstone, Jesus preached that the reign of God was breaking in through mercy upon the marignalized. It is not that Jesus made no notice of hell.However, when he does mention hell, it is always in the context of the rigidly unforgiving, or those who commit heinous sins that hurt other people. For Jesus, it appears that baptism was transformed from a symbolic act that looked forward to a day of immersion in the Spirit, to a symbolic rite that made the Spirit present. In Jesus and his disciples, baptism rattling became a rite of initiation for those who choose in the here and now to live in the reign of god breaking into our reality. By pass judgment the baptism of Jesus, one was chosing to live here and now as though God is your only king, and to trive for perfection. After the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, baptism took on new meaning. Under the ambition of the Holy Spirit, Saint Paul called baptism an immersion in the death and resurrection of the Lord (See Romans 64 and Colossians 212). The author of 1 Peter refers to baptism as a cleansing. With Saint Augustine int he fourth century, the emphasis on the notion of baptism as cleansing became critical in his debates with a monk named Pelegius. Pelegius believed that Christ saved us by offerring an example of perfection that we chose to follow by our own inherent goodness.Those who rejected Christ and refuse to imitate him are simply evil. Pelegius taught a crass works righteousness. Augustine, profoundly aware of his own sinfulness, countered that he could not even want to follow Christ if God had not given him the gift to desire Christ. Augustine, relying on Saint Paul, believed that we are saved by grace, and that grace enables us to imitate Christ. Augustine developed the fantasy of original sin to explain what he felt Paul was formulation when Paul says all people are sinners due to Adams sin (see Romans 512).Augustine argued that grace is a completely free gift given to us while we are sinners, and through the gift, we are made righteous, with baptism symbolizing cleanliness and new birth. As a demonstration that he was version the Scriptures correctly, Augustine wrote to Pelegius sympathetic to common tradition asking if what he was saying were not true, why does the Church baptize infants? So, the effect of baptism is that we die to our sinful selves to switch off with him. Grace, the very life of Christ, is infused in the soul by the one who lives today This new life is experienced as rebirth in water and Spirit.We are immersed int eh Holy Spirit so that live as sons of daughters of the great King of the universe, whose reign of peace and justice is breaking into the world through Christ acting in us. why do Catholics baptize infants? Acts 10 speaks of the entire family of Cornelius, and the whole household, including his servants, receiving Peter and the Apostles to eventually become baptized. Catholics believe that the chance indicates the possibility that children were baptized within the New Testament period, since it is likely that Cornelius had children.Yet, there is no direct and unquestionable proof that infants were baptized in the New Testament. Many Protestant Christians argue that the symbolism of conversion and change is lost by performing baptism on infants, and that such batisms should be considered invalid. Catholics believe that in the early church, adult baptism was the norm as the Church reached out to new members. However, we saw higher up that Saint Augustine argued against the works righteousness of Pelegius by appealing to the already wide-spread and ancient tradition of infant baptism.Infant baptism may or may not not perfectly allow the recipient to experience grace as conversion. Yet, Catholics accept in faith that conversion is occurring even in the infant. For many Catholics, infant baptism is a response of gratitude to God for a child, and a celebration of birth. Parents naturally want to share their faith and destination with their children. As a rite of intitiation, baptism knits a person into that web of relationships that forms the Church the Body of Christ. What Christian parent would not seek to have their child knit into this web of relationships?On a deeper theological level, Catholics speak of a real transformation taking place in the infant where all guilt of original sin is removed, and grace is infused in the soul conforming the child to Christ. Through baptism, a person is born again, and the effects of the sacraments become eternally By offering the rite to an infant, we are emphasizing that grace is an absolutely free gift, not even earned by our desire for conversion or our intellectual undertsanding of what we receive. This may confuse many Protestants, who believe that Catholics teach works righteousness.The Catholic Church holds as infallible, according to Scripture, the topical anaesthetic council of Orange, and the Ecumenical Council of Trent that salvation is by grace alone. However, Catholics believe that with new birt h comes growth, and that with baptism, Christs life life is infused inthe soul to produce faith and works. Faith without works cannot save, and works without faith cannot save. Yet, the whole process of salvation is initiated as a free gift of Christ. See my essay excuse Protestant or Catholic for more detail on this subject.In the New Testament, Paul speaks of laying hands on people after baptism, and James speaks of annointing people. The word Christ literally means annointed. Catholics generally believe that in the sacrament of confirmation (laying on of hands and annointing), a person is confirmed in the faith. This second sacrament completes initiation in the Catholic Church and is closely connected theologically to baptism, though separated by years in time for many Catholics. Adult converts receive the two sacraments together.This is usually done in young adulthood, and provides an opportunity for a similar experience to Protestant young adult conversion at baptism. Why do C atholics use the Trinitarian formula, and not the name of Jesus Personally, I am not sure that God considers the name of Jesus alone as an invalid baptism. However, there are denominations and churches separated from Rome who baptize in the name of Jesus only because they reject the doctrine of the Trinity. We saw above that the Trinitarian formula for baptism is Scriptural in Matthew 2819.We know from early Church writings that the Trinitarian formula was used from most ancient times, and the doctrine was accepted as the correct interpretation of scripture by the world-wide Church at several Ecumneical Councils. Thus, Catholics believe that the Trinitarian formula is revealed through Scripture and Sacred Tradition to be a if not the correct way to do baptism. Since the issue arose late historically, and was clear attempt to break the unity of the Church, Catholics do require a new baptism for those who join s from a community that did not use the Trinitarian formula. Why do Catholi cs sprinkle instead of immersing? Immersion is the proper way to do baptism to convey the full symbolism of the sacrament. Sprinkling in the early church was only used for emergencies, such as imminent death. As the Church expanded into Northern Europe, it is highly probable that cold weather caused Christians to turn more often to sprinkling. Irish missionaries may have carried the practice back southward. The Church defends that baptism by sprinkling is valid.At teh same time, Vatican II called for a renewal and retrieval of the meaning of sacramental gestures so that the fullness of what was conveyed in the New Testament is mediated in the signs. I have seen more and more Catholic churches building baptismal fonts vainglorious enought to immerse an adult. In the future, I expect immersion to once again become the norm. One final point When John began baptizing, he warned his Jewish siblings that God could make children of Abraham from the stones. Receiving his baptism of repente nce was useless if one was not changed by it.God always respects our freedom, and we are always free to reject and act against the grace that is given us. We do this when we sin. Catholics believe that God initiates the salvation as an absolutely free and unmerited gift that can start in an infant. Catholics believe that Christ acts in the sacrament, so that we can never say that baptism does not have an effect. Christ promised to act in every valid baptism. Even Adolf Hitler (who was baptized Catholic) was changed by the sacrament. (Think how much worse he may have been if his life were never touched by grace Yet, knowing that every baptism has an effect on the recipient, and trusting individually that the One who died for me and began a work for me in baptism wants to bring it to completion, I must respond to him Johns warning to the children of Abraham is still true for Christians. We must, by Gods continued outpouring of grace, receive the Lordship of Christ and allow his will t o shape our lives and continually change us. While baptism always has an effect, not everyone who has been bapized is absolutely certain slavation.