Title: The Sacrament of Baptism (with a brief
introduction on sacraments in general)
Audience: Catechumens (who have completed learning
the salvation history in the Old Testament and the Gospels, the early Church
and the four marks of the Church, and the Lord’s Prayer)
Objectives:
1.
To
briefly explain liturgy and sacraments in general.
2.
To
elaborate on the sacrament of baptism as part and parcel of the sacraments of
initiation; baptism in the economy of salvation; major symbols in the
liturgical rite of adult baptism; the Trinitarian baptismal formula; the effects of
baptism; and baptism of infants.
3.
To
relate the sacrament of baptism to the spiritual and moral lives of catechumens
in order to advance the formation of the whole human person.
Opening Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you call us to learn to know and love
you. As we are preparing ourselves to receive the divine gifts and become your
children through baptism, may you enlighten our minds and hearts with the Holy
Spirit so that we will be configured more deeply to your Son Jesus Christ who gives
us hope and eternal life by his self-sacrifice on the cross and resurrection
from the dead. May the Holy Spirit open our spiritual eyes to see the abundance
of life and love before us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Content of Presentation
Liturgy
(leitourgia) is a Greek word
originally meaning a public duty or a service/work that one must do for his
state (CCC 1069). It has been applied
to the worship of God, meaning that creatures have the duty to participate in
the work of God. What is the “work” that is being done in the liturgy? God the
Father, who is the source of all blessings, gives humanity the gift of love and
His life through the Son and with the Holy Spirit. Humanity returns God’s
blessing by “adoration and surrender to his Creator in thanksgiving” (CCC 1078). As such, we understand the
“work” being done in the liturgy as the mutual blessing between the Trinitarian
God and humanity. Indeed, “from the beginning until the end of time the whole
of God's work is a blessing” (CCC
1079). As we have already learned in our Old Testament lessons, God has incessantly
revealed Himself to mankind since the Fall.
Abraham, “the father of the faithful” (c.f. Galatians 3:7),
embraced God’s blessing to the extent of willingly surrendering his beloved son
to Him. God revealed Himself and His blessing through astonishing and saving
events, most notably the escape from Egypt (Passover and Exodus); promulgation
of the Law through Moses; the Promise to David; the construction, destruction
and re-construction of the Temple; the voice of the prophets; etc. All these
were interwoven with the liturgy of the chosen People and their sacrifices
offered to God, who bestowed His divine blessing with the people responded with
blessings of praise and thanksgiving. When the fullness of time had come, God
sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ to this world so that humanity may get
the fullness of divine revelation.
With the passion, death, resurrection and glorious ascension of
Jesus, God’s salvation plan for mankind is fulfilled and His blessing fully
revealed to humanity. But how can all mankind not living in the age of Jesus
respond to this divine blessing? The answer is through the Church’s liturgy. As
pointed out earlier, we understand the “work” that is being done in the liturgy
as the mutual blessing between the Trinity and humanity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church
stipulates that:
In the Church's liturgy the divine blessing is fully revealed and communicated. The
Father is acknowledged and adored as the source and the end of all the
blessings of creation and salvation. In his Word who became incarnate, died,
and rose for us, he fills us with his blessings. Through his Word, he pours
into our hearts the Gift that contains all gifts, the Holy Spirit (CCC 1082).
God has revealed and communicated His blessing through His
Son and the Church’s liturgy to humanity. So the next question for us is where
and how Christians can receive His divine blessing? The Church, guided by the
Holy Spirit has discerned over the centuries that among liturgical celebrations
there are seven that are “sacraments” instituted by the Lord (CCC 1117). The whole liturgical life of
the Church revolves around the Eucharistic celebration (the Mass) and these
seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick,
Holy Orders, and Matrimony (CCC
1113). All these sacraments are instituted by Christ and entrusted to the
Church. We believe that it is the whole Church community, the Body of Christ
united with its Head (c.f. Ephesians 5:23), that celebrates the sacramental
liturgy (CCC 1140). Communication is
always two-way. Through active and conscious participation in the sacramental
liturgy, Christians will receive God’s most efficacious blessings: His divine graces by virtue of the saving work of
Christ, which are dispensed to the faithful by the power of God. The liturgical
rites “by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the
graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with
the required dispositions” (CCC
1131).
A sacramental
celebration is “woven from signs and symbols” (CCC 1145). These symbols such as water, oil, bread and wine, accompanied
by words, help communicate the symbolic meaning of the sacrament to human
beings, exciting the minds of the faithful in the contemplation of the most
sublime mysteries which are hidden in the liturgy that God reveals to them. By
using their intellect and senses in the right manner, the faithful will, in
union with Christ offer praises, thanksgiving and their entire lives to the
Father; and God will confer the gifts of the Holy Spirit to them: strengthening
their faith, hope and love, comforting their hearts in times of distress, and
commissioning them as the disciples of Jesus to proclaim the Gospel to the
whole creation (Mark 16:15). We will start to learn about the sacraments of
initiation, i.e., baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist. They are called
sacraments of initiation because they “lay the foundations of every Christian
life” (CCC 1212). Without receiving
baptism, one is not allowed to gain access to other sacraments. In this lesson,
let’s first explore the sacrament of baptism, its sacramental signs and
effects, and how it is related to your future Christian lives.
Baptism is the sacrament giving a new life to Christians.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom
of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5). Before his glorious
ascension, he sent his Apostles to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew
28:19). This is a clear biblical source that Jesus instituted baptism and
entrusted it to the Church under the leadership of the Apostles and their
successors. Blood and water came out from the side of Jesus when a soldier
pierced his side with a spear (John 19:34). Water and blood are symbols of baptism
and the Eucharist, “the sacraments of new life.” “From then on, it is possible
‘to be born of water and the Spirit’ (John 3:5) in order to enter the kingdom
of God” (CCC 1225).
In fact, baptism was already prefigured in the Old Testament.
Do you remember the Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters at the
beginning of God’s creation (Genesis 1:2)? And Noah’s family saved in the ark
from the great flood (Genesis 7:1-8:22)? Noah’s ark prefigured salvation by
baptism of the Church. Yet, the most wonderful deed of salvation is the
crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites. Through the miracle, the Almighty
God delivered the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians, while the
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army were drowned in the Red Sea (Exodus 14:15-30).
How is this story relating to baptism? Let’s see how St. Paul
told the Romans: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with
him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4).
That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus that a person would enter into a new life if he
was born of water and Spirit. Yet, St. Paul brings the message even further: “We
know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again, death no
longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves
dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:9-11). St. Cyril of
Jerusalem, a Church Father of the fourth century told his catechumens before
their baptism: “That tyrant of old pursued the ancient Jewish people as far as the
sea, and here and now the devil, bold and shameless, the source of all evil,
followed you up to the waters of salvations. Pharaoh was submerged in the sea,
and the devil disappears in the waters of salvation” (Yarnold 71). So, are you
prepared to say “no” to the devil, the source of sins, and resist his
temptations, while making up your minds to follow Christ for a new life in him,
and receiving salvation for an eternal life in the loving unity of the Holy Trinity?
Do you want to be freed from the slavery of sins, just like the Israelites
being freed from the slavery of the Egyptians when they crossed the Red Sea? St. Paul
reminded the Romans: “let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and
drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and
jealousy. Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the
flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:13-14). How relevant is his advice
made two thousand years ago to us modern man!
Let’s
now go briefly into how the sacrament of baptism is celebrated. In our parish,
the liturgy, which starts at 8 p.m. of the Easter Vigil, takes about three to
four hours to celebrate the three sacraments of initiation. But first of all,
you have to show readiness to be baptized and join the rite of election (which makes you
“elects”) on the first Sunday of Lent. You will then go through the period of
purification and enlightenment, including in it a retreat and a series of
scrutiny rites as your final preparation. While we will have a
separate session to go through all the details with you later, I would like to
use this lesson to highlight some major sacramental symbols and signs in the baptismal
liturgy.
First
is the profession of the paschal candle at the start of the ceremony. The lights
in the church are all switched off, while the light of the paschal candle
signifies the Light of Christ brought into this world. Jesus said: “I am the
light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will
have the light of life” (John 8:12). All the baptized will have their own
candles lighted by the paschal candle, as a symbol of the indwelling of Christ,
yet the candidates of baptism do not have a candle at this stage. They are
still in darkness but Christ’s lights are already all around them.
The
Liturgy of the Word of Easter Vigil is extraordinary. Actually, the Liturgy of
the Word is always an integral part of every Eucharistic celebration. Do you remember
the two disciples who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus (c.f. Luke 24:13-35)?
They heard the word of God first, but they did not understand it until Jesus
opened their spiritual eyes with the breaking of the bread, then they immediately
understood what the Scripture foretold about Jesus. The
Liturgy of the Eucharist is linked to the Liturgy of the Word to “form one
single act of worship; the Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of
the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord” (CCC 1346). We will have nine readings in the Easter Vigil, including seven from the
Old Testament and two from the New (the Epistle and the Gospel). We have already
come across two of them (Exodus and Romans) today. And the Gospel is about the
risen Lord, He is alive! Pope Francis told the faithful in his Easter Vigil
homily: “Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with
trust: he is life! If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust
him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you
the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do”
(Pope Francis “Easter Vigil Homily (2013)”). The homily, which is the ministry
of the word integrated into the liturgy, is to capture the tremendous mysteries
being celebrated on this most sacred night and elaborate on how they relate to
the faithful, particularly the candidates for baptism. Let’s read all the biblical
readings together nearer the time of your baptism.
The
baptismal liturgy is the climax of the sacred night. The priest, who is the
ordinary minister of baptism, is the first to go to the baptismal font. As a
side note, the bishop, the priest and the deacon are called “ordinary
ministers” because in case of necessity (e.g., a person who wills to be
baptized is in the danger of death), anyone, even a non-baptized person, with
the intention to do what the Church does in baptism, can baptize by using the
Trinitarian baptismal formula (which will be discussed shortly) (CCC 1256). The candidates for baptism
are called forward and presented by their sponsors. All facing the baptismal
font, the priest invites the faithful to pray for the baptismal candidates in
conjunction with the saints in heaven by singing the Litany led by the cantor. Prayers
are so important in our Christian life. Particularly in the liturgy, we offer
our prayers together with Christ and the whole Church to the heavenly Father. In
this sacred night, we invoke the saints in heaven to fervently pray for the
ones to be baptized soon. Indeed, the whole liturgy of the night is the most
sublime prayer of the whole Christian community to God. The baptismal water is then
“consecrated by a prayer of epiclesis,” asking for “the Holy Spirit (to) be
sent upon the water, so that those who will be baptized in it may be ‘born of
water and the Spirit’” (CCC 1238). Before
they are baptized, the candidates for baptism will have to join the faithful to
renounce their sins and profess the faith of the Trinitarian God as well as
“the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting” (CCC, The Credo), which is essentially the content of the Apostolic
Creed that lays the foundation of Christian faith. The Creed is an ideal piece
of prayer to illustrate that “communion in faith needs a common language of faith,
normative for all and uniting all in the same confession of faith” (CCC 185).
In
the ancient times and in some modern churches that have a bigger baptismal font,
the baptismal candidates are baptized by the triple immersion in the baptismal
water. It is “the most expressive way” of baptism (CCC 1239). However, baptism is conferred in our parish by pouring
the water three times over the candidate’s head, accompanied by the minister’s
words: "N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit.” This is the “Trinitarian baptismal formula” being used ever
since the early Church in accordance with the Lord’s command to “make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19). All attending are full of joy and thanks to
God. We welcome the newcomers to our family. They are no long called elects or
baptismal candidates but the newborns in Christ. Tearful eyes of joy can be
seen everywhere in the church.
Do
remember that this sacred rite of baptism can only be administered once in our
lives because the sacrament “seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual
mark (character) of his belonging to Christ” (CCC 1272). In fact, Christian denominations recognize each other’s
baptism administered using the same Trinitarian formula. No “re-baptism” is
needed and allowed. In fact, baptism constitutes “the sacramental bond of unity
existing among all who through it are reborn” (CCC 1271). Through baptism, “all sins are forgiven, original sin
and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin” (CCC 1263). The neophytes are a “new creation” in Christ:
“everything old has passed away, and everything has become new” (2 Corinthians
5:17). The grace of baptism purifies them from sins and gives them new birth in
the Holy Spirit (CCC 1262). Water is
both a symbol of cleaning and life. With their spiritual eyes, Christians see the
baptismal water cleanse all the sins from the souls of the neophytes, while at
the same time give them new lives in Christ. Incorporated into Christ by
baptism, neophytes are to follow Christ and united with him. They are “imitators
of God as beloved children, and walk in love by conforming their thoughts,
words and actions to the mind of Christ by following his example” (CCC 1694). Baptism is necessary for
salvation (CCC 1257), despite that we
may rely on God’s mercy to save by the merit of Christ those who were not
baptized but lived an honest and respectable life according to their conscience.
After
baptism, the sponsors clothe the newly baptized with the white baptismal
garment and present a lighted candle to them. The newly baptized will wear
their white garments when they attend the Mass everyday throughout the week
after Easter. The white garment reminds them once more that they are now “clothe(d
)with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true
righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24). On the other hand, the candle
reminds them to always keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts. At this
point, they receive the Light of Christ as others did earlier. In Christ, all
the faithful are “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). After the celebration
of baptism, the newly baptized will receive the sacrament of confirmation. The
celebrant lays hands on the whole group and makes a sign of the cross with
chrism on the foreheads of those receiving confirmation one by one. Through
confirmation, the neophytes receive the Holy Spirit who will strengthen them to
become true witnesses of Christ. We will cover the sacrament of confirmation in
further details in our next lesson.
The
Liturgy of the Eucharist starts with the offering of gifts by the neophytes. In
the Eucharistic Prayer, the special interpolations for “Christian Initiation:
Baptism” are to be used to pray especially with and for the newly baptized. In
saying the Lord’s Prayer, neophytes are now “fully qualified” to call God the
Father “Our Father.” They are no longer “slaves under the old law” but
are “in the new life (of grace) of the Spirit (Romans 7:6), who makes them holy
in the “Life in Christ.” By becoming the “children of God” (Romans 8:14), it is
fitting for all the baptized to pray with Jesus to his Father and call Him
“Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15). Although you are not yet baptized, the Lord’s
Prayer is always the most perfect prayer for you to pray to God, praise Him,
and ask Him to grant us our daily needs, a loving heart towards our neighbors,
and a joyful hope for the future. It is called “the Lord’s Prayer because it comes
to us from the Lord Jesus, the master and model of our prayer” (CCC 2775). So, recite it and use it
frequently in your daily prayers!
After
the Lord’s Prayer, the faithful receive Holy Communion under two kinds – Body
and Blood. The neophytes will be invited to receive Holy Communion before
others. They are now in full communion with Christ for the first time. Also
importantly, they are now part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
and become fully united with us in Christ. Baptism makes them members of the
Body of Christ. We will cover the Eucharist and the Mass in further details in
our coming lessons. The Easter Vigil Mass ends soon after Holy Communion but
our actions as the witness of Christ will continue until the end of our lives.
We are all ministers of the word of God to proclaim His love for us to our
relatives, our friends and all our “neighbors” like the Good Samaritan (c.f.
Luke 10:25-37).
For
Christians, the Easter Vigil Mass is the most important liturgy of the year. It
is the climax of the liturgical year through which we experience the
resurrection of the Lord from his death, and the joy of having new blood
injected into the Church. As a catechist, I sincerely hope that you will
further your knowledge of God and follow Christ in your words and deeds. But remember
one thing: don’t ground your hope in pastors and catechists, but in
Christ alone. Finally, I understand that some of you would also like your
children to be baptized. Indeed, “children also have need of the new birth in baptism
to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the
freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called” (CCC 1250). They are “baptized in the
faith of the Church” (CCC 1282). As
parents, you will bear the primary responsibility in transmitting the faith to
them. Parents are always their children’s first teachers, training them to love
the good and hate the evil by setting a good model for them to follow. I
encourage all those who want to be baptized together with their children to
start praying with them and attending Sunday Mass with them, if you have not
done so already. Sometimes, we find children can even be the “educators” of
their parents in prayers because of their persistence, innocence and purity.
Indeed, Jesus welcomes children to come to him since “whoever does not receive
the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it” (Mark 10:15).
Discussions and sharing:
1.
Water
is used ordinarily in many facets of our daily lives. How do you relate the
sacramental symbol of water in terms of its daily uses with the sacramental
effects of baptism discussed above?
2.
Baptism
is not a human symbol, but a symbol by which God’s grace of salvation pours
upon the baptized. Do you think you are now on the right path to receive the
divine gifts of salvation? What else should be done to prepare yourselves
better to receive these gifts?
Closing Song: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
Works Cited
Catechism
of the Catholic Church (CCC). New York: Doubleday, 1995. Print.
“Easter
Vigil Script.” Diocese of Owensboro. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
Pope
Francis. "Easter Vigil Homily (30 March 2013)." Vatican, n.d. Web. 15
Feb. 2017.
The General Directory for Catechesis (GDC). Vatican, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2017.
Willey,
Petroc, Pierre de Cointet, and Barbara Morgan. The Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Craft of the Catechesis. Print.
Yarnold,
Edward. The Awe-inspiring Rites of
Initiation: The Origins of the RCIA. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1994.
Print.
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