MEANING OF BAPTISM Before my baptism I am simply a child of nature
endowed with reason but also with the contamination of original sin. Holy water
poured over us in baptism three times in the name of the Trinity washes away this
sin and makes us a child of grace. It is called REGENERATION, meaning new birth.
BAPTISM comes from the Greek word meaning
"IMMERSION'..The water in the font is sanctified or blessed by invoking
the Holy Spirit before the child is immersed in it.
Water has always been seen as the source of life.
The child is also anointed with holy chrism, perfumed oil
consecrated by the bishop in Holy Week, signinfiying the
gift of the Holy Spirit to the child.
In theOrthodox Church this anointing is seen as Confirmation..
The child after baptism is dressed in a white robe to signify his/her new
life in Christ. The Godparents are handed a candle to signfiy that the
neophyte, that is, the newly baptised, has been enlightened by Christ who
is the light of the world.
IN BAPTISM I AM MADE
1. .THE CHILD OF GOD.. This means that the "old person" has been
put away and in the new Adam, Jesus Christ I am from henceforth God's special
child of grace sealed with the Cross. I have been filled with the Spirit to transform my life. So I live in such a way that the Holy Spirit will never leave me.
2. A MEMBER OF CHRIST This means that I am henceforth a
member of the Church, which is Christ's body, and part of the whole Christian
community - i.e. the church here on earth (the militant church; the church in paradise,
i.e. the expectant church; and the church in heaven, i.e. the triumphant church). As a
member I support each other by my prayers and loving care for others.
3. AN INHERITOR OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN This means
as I have been ingrafted into Christ's death and resurrection I have become an
heir to God's heaven. However I have to live by the precepts Christ has taught.
[To know the "rules" for this kingdom read St. Matthew's gospel chs. 5-7 which is often
referred to as The Sermon on the Mount].
Once baptised I can never be baptised again. If I lapse from the Church the way back is
through the sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation as it generally called to-day.
If I am baptised as an infant my Godparents assume this commitment for me until I am
old enough to shoulder it myself. But if I am baptised at a reasonable age I make
this commitment myself.There are three commitments made.
1. To fight against Satan and all his works. This means that I recognise the presence of evil spirits at work in this world, however very subtlely, and that by God's grace I shall fight against all evil.
2. To believe the articles of Faith set out in the Apostle's Creed. This briefly means that I believe that God is a Trinitarian God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, all working co-equally in creation, redemption and sanctification, that the second person became incarnate in order to restore mankind to his former glory and as a consequence died for the sin of mankind, and conquered death, the penalty for sin, by His resurrection, and then sent the Holy Spirit to be our Guide and Comforter.
This creed also sets out the belief in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church as the continuation of Our Lord's Incarnation, and in the belief of the forgiveness of sins and of the life to come.
3. To keep God's holy will and commandments all our days. This means that I should always act as Christ would. These are summed up in the two great commandments: to love God and to love my neighbour. To do this I need access to God's grace through the Sacraments, prayer and meditating quietly, especially on the Scriptures and other holy writings. .
All this is possible as God is always with us in every situation and at every moment. We only have to trust and believe.
Hope and perseverance are the two great Christian virtues after love.and will bring us to eternal life in Christ. But never forget you have been made a new person, a person of grace living in the kingdom of God.
