Throughout the next three weeks, we will be talking about the Sacraments of Initiation. In this Easter Season, we celebrate new life and the grace won by Jesus Christ, that we as a Church access through the Sacraments. Today, we are going to talk about the first Sacrament before all Sacraments: Baptism. In Baptism you are made a beloved child of God.
There is something so important about knowing our identity- about who we inherently are. Baptism removes the stain of Original Sin, and it clothes us with the grace. We are objectively changed when we are baptized. Baptism leaves an indelible (aka unerasable) mark upon our souls. We are claimed as God’s own.
Baptism and Confirmation are so closely linked. In the Sacrament of Baptism, you first receive the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit, and in Confirmation, these gifts and fruits are stirred up within you so that you can be sent to witness to God’s unending life and love.
You probably do not remember your Baptism, but the liturgy of Baptism can be broken into 8 parts: the Sign of the Cross, Readings from Scripture, Exorcism and Anointing, Blessing the Baptismal Water, Renunciation of Sin and the Profession of Faith (aka the Creed), Baptism with Water and the Words, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Anointing with Sacred Chrism (you will get this again at Confirmation!), and Reception of the White Garment and the Candle. You can read about each part and it’s importance here.
If you don’t know the date of your Baptism, ask your parents and then put it on your calendar. This is the most important day of your life, because this is when you were born into new life in the faith. You should celebrate your identity as a beloved daughter or son of God!
