A couple of weeks back I posted a blog on the sacraments with the intention of expounding on each individual sacrament on a latter day. Given the deep theological nature of these type of posts I prefer to do them on the few weekends when my schedule is relatively light and can give them their due justice, both mentally as in regards to supporting documentation.
The initial blog on Sacraments can be found here.
Today I will begin with the sacrament of baptism. This is the logical beginning, since without this sacrament a Christian cannot participate in any other sacrament and is indeed concidered outside of the fold of the Christian faith.
Baptism is the first of the three sacraments of initiation. It is the sacrament that makes one a Christian, it cleanses us of original sin. Indeed without baptism one is outside of the spiritual jurisdiction of the church and without it one cannot even be married in a sacramental fashion.
Jesus stated Clearly the need for baptism when he made this very declarative statement to Nicodemus in John 3:4-5 after which he proceeds to Baptize with his disciples in verse 22.
The need for baptism stems from what is known as original sin. Which is the Sin of Adam that is inherited by humans from the moment of conception. (Whether this is just that all men should be subject to the sin of another man is the subject for another post, suffice it to say that people suffer the consequences of others sins constantly as evidenced by the numerous mass graves world wide created at the hands of evil men such as Saddam Hussein and others) The main purpose of baptism is to cleanse us of this original sin and infuse us with the life of Grace that can come only though the Holy Spirit of God. See Acts 2:38-39. God uses the natural element of Water which signifies cleansing to actually cleanse us of original Sin. In the scene of Acts 2 cited 3000+ people accepted Jesus and were baptized. Catholicism knows of no other means of making salvation accessible other than though baptism. This does not mean that non-baptized people cannot be saved. It simply means that those non-baptized that are saved are being saved though means other than the ordinary means instituted by Jesus. Like any King, God is at liberty to circumvent his edicts, the Church as his loyal subject is not.
All Christian faiths practice baptism, though not all have the same view of it. Some have the Catholic notion of it's necessity and salvific effect others see it as merely a symbol and a response of obedience and nothing more with no salvific effect.
One aspect of baptism that is often maligned by non-Catholics is the practice of infant baptism. The common non-Catholic refrain is that Children are not capable of making a decision for Christ thus making the baptism invalid. They will often re-baptize adult Catholics that convert to their churches on the notion that only adults can make that commitment. Traditional Christianity has always practiced infant baptism. The truth is that since no other provision was revealed for Salvation it was seen as imperative that even children be baptized so as to ensure their entrance into glory. Note in the above passage from acts that Peter says "...for the promise is for you and your Children" and it states that all present were baptized, no exceptions were made for adults. Consider the historical context of of early Christianity. Christianity is born of Judaism and carried many Jewish notions and beliefs. Indeed Jesus was a Jew and he founded his Church as a perfection of that old covenant revelation. In Judaism the means of becoming a Jew was though Circumcision and the law dictated that infants should be circumcised on the eighth day of they birth. Note, Jews did not wait until the child reached an age of accountability to be circumcised. to be sure converts to Judaism were circumcised as adults as are adults converts to Catholicism. Paul makes the connection of circumcision to baptism here. In Scripture we see entire Household being baptized (Acts 16:27-33, and 1Cor 1:16).
As can be seen Baptism is the most important of Sacraments, because without no other sacrament is accessible even the most precious Eucharist. Baptism cleanses us of Original sin and start us in the life of Grace. It is is also vital in that no other means of attaining salvation was revealed and thus no other means is known.
Further reading on baptism can be found in the Catechism, and New Advent
