The sacrament of Baptism is the first sacrament in Christianity, and the beginning of one’s journey with God. Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Baptism for each individual soul to gain grace and formulate a respective relationship with God. The background of Baptism can be traced to Old Testament times, as far back as the first book of the Bible. Eight people were saved from the great flood of God’s judgment, and Peter pointed out that the water of the flood “symbolizes Baptism that now saves you” (1 Pet. 3:21). Baptism appears multiple times in the books of the prophets in the Old Testament such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, and David because they used water as an external symbol for cleansing. Another person who exemplified Baptism in history was John the Baptist, the final prophet of the Old Covenant. As John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, in Matthew 3:14, he was fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy. John said to Jesus, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" Jesus was able to convince John to baptize him eventually, and while the symbol of Baptism is important, so is the substance of Baptism. The substance of Baptism is the blood of Jesus Christ removing our sinfulness. As water cleanses people from soil and sweat, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses the inner man from sin.
The Baptism of Jesus is included in the Gospel Bible books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These stories describe Baptism and its roots, and when Jesus approached John and asked to be baptized. In Matthew 3 the story of John the Baptist is told. John was a deeply religious man whose role was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah. In this story, John survives in the wilderness preaching to people about the coming of a new king. One day, as he was on the banks of river Jordan, John was visited by Jesus of Galilee. Jesus asked John to baptize him in the waters of the river. John was aware of the importance of Jesus and was reluctant to baptize such an important figure. After conversing with Jesus, John agreed to perform Jesus’ Baptism. While Jesus was immersed in the water, a voice came from heaven saying, “This is my beloved and chosen son, in whom I’m well pleased.” The spirit of God was then seen coming down from Heaven in the form of lightning. In Luke 3:21-24, Baptism is also described and included. Luke 3:21-24 says, “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph.” This is a clear example of Baptism because it describes disciples and Jesus being baptized. It also describes the after affects that Baptism has on Jesus, which is very important in faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC, sums up the beliefs of the Catholic faith. Pope John Paul II wrote it, and there is many helpful details and beliefs included in it. The CCC answers commonly asked questions about the faith. The CCC describes Baptism “that all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin. (CCC 1263) For the people that have received Baptism, they have been reborn and nothing shall interfere with their entry into God’s kingdom, even Adam’s sin or personal sin. Not only is the physical Baptism important, but also the symbols in it. The “Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification, but also regeneration and renewal.” (CCC 1267) Overall, Baptism makes us subscribers of the Body of Christ, "Therefore, we are members one of another."(CCC 1268) Baptism is our initiation into the Church.
Baptism has many symbols within the sacrament. In Christianity, Baptism is the Sacrament of Initiation to the Church, which is symbolized by the pouring of water on the head or by immersion in water by a priest. When the priest pours water on the person’s head, or immerses them into the water he says "Upon your profession of faith and in accordance with the Lord's command, I baptize you, (NAME) in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Buried in the likeness of His death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection." This is the ritual of Baptism, and happens in all of the Catholic churches. There is typically a Mass held during Baptism, with many families and people that attend.
I chose the sacrament of Baptism for many reasons. Baptism is the first sacrament in our Catholic faith and is necessary for salvation. “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:5) I believe that Baptism sets up our journey with Christ, and if us Catholics do not receive Baptism, then we cannot continue our faith-filled journey to Heaven. When we receive Baptism we are commanded to preach the Gospel, draw people to faith in God, and evangelize. Unlike any other sacrament, in Baptism all sins are forgiven, Original Sin and all personal sins. I feel like this sacrament really helps us bring our devoted religious soul closer to God. Baptism also gives us new life as adopted children of God and we are now made righteous by God and live in a state of grace. Overall, I really love the Sacrament of Baptism because we are adopted by God and it is the official start of our journey to heaven.
The sacrament of Baptism can greatly affect one’s personal life with Christ. Through Baptism in water, God adopts us as his own children. From that moment onwards we are part of His Church, which helps us become members of the Church. As we receive Baptism we make a covenant with God to live out our faith as much as we can. This sacrament washes away our original sin, which cleanses us. I am so grateful that I received Baptism because if I did not, I wouldn’t be the same spiritual person I am today. Baptism started my relationship with God, and it has grown ever since. Overall, I really think that Baptism shaped me into the spiritual person I am today, and I am very grateful for that.
If I were to explain Baptism to someone who had no idea what the sacrament of Baptism was, I would first start out with the basics of Baptism. I would first describe to them what a sacrament is. “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible 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) Sacraments are a huge part of our journey with Christ, and without them we can’t live out our spiritual life. The first sacrament on our journey with God is Baptism. Baptism is a ceremonial immersion in water, as a sacrament of the Church. Jesus is our example of Baptism, when he was baptized in Matthew 3:13-17. Baptism is a symbol of faith and repentance comes before Baptism. Baptism is also a symbol of the death of our sin and our new life beginning with Christ: Acts 2:38, Acts 8:35-38 Baptism takes place in the water, and it is what Jesus did when He took the punishment for us Christians sins. When someone is baptized it shows that you believe Jesus died for you. When you come out of the water, you show others that you believe God brought Jesus back to life. (Romans 6:4) While Baptism sounds perfect, it doesn’t mean your life will be perfect. As followers of God, we still will sin, but we must repent this and try to be as holy as we can. Baptism also can only happen once, no matter how much evil or sin you provoke. Following Baptism, you receive other sacraments like Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation., Anointing of the sick, Marriage, and Holy orders. All of these sacraments bring us closer to God, but to continue your spiritual journey you can also do things like attend Mass and pray regularly.