"Baptism incorporates us into Christ and forms us into God’s people. This sacrament pardons all out sins, rescues us from the power of sin and darkness and brings us to the dignity of adopted children, a new creation through water and the Holy Spirit. Hence we are called and indeed are the children of God" (Christian Initiation: General Introduction, #2)

The sacramental mystery of Christian baptism, a word derived from the Greek of immersion, finds its scriptural origins in the great commission of Christ to his disciples at the end of Matthew’s gospel (Mt 28:19) "go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". Thus there is an inseparable connection between faith and the acceptance of baptism. Jesus tells Nicodemus in the 4^th Gospel: "unless one is born of water and Spirit, one cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5). Baptism is the very basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to the Spirit and the door to the other sacraments (CCC 1213) without which no one can enter the Kingdom of God.

St Gregory of Nazianzus, one of the Cappadocian Fathers writing in the late 4^th century described Baptism as follows:

"Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift. We call it gift, grace anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own, grace since it is given even to those who are guilty. Baptism because sin is buried in the water, anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed, enlightenment because it radiates light, clothing since it veils our shame, bath because it washes and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God’s Lordship"

Anyone familiar with the Easter Vigil Liturgy will be reminded of how the Church has sought to place the sacrament of Baptism within the overall context of creation and salvation history. In the liturgy of Easter the Church recalls and commemorates the great events of salvation history that already prefigured the mystery of Baptism.

"Father you give us grace through sacramental signs
which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power
In Baptism we use your gift of water
which you have made a rich symbol
of the grace you give us in this sacrament"
(Easter Vigil: Blessing of Water)

 
"You freed the children of Abraham from the slavery of Pharaoh, brining them dry-shod through the waters of the Red Sea, to be an image of the people set free in Baptism"
(Easter Vigil: Blessing of Water)

Throughout the New Testament there are several instances of baptismal practices of the early Church from the baptism of Saul (Paul) (Acts 9:18) to the baptism of the Eunuch by Philip (Acts 8:38-40), the baptism of large group by the disciples (Acts 2:41, 10: 46-48 and 19:3-7).

We should remember that the rite of immersion for the washing away of sins is not a NT experience. Immersion or ritual purification has a long history among all the religious systems of the world especially within Judaism.

• Baptism: from the Gr. "baptein" and "baptizein" meaning to dip or immerse.

• "as they acknowledged their sins"

as an immersion into the paschal mystery of the death and resurrection of Christ:

as a tomb, in which we are buried with Christ:

as prefigured in Exodus of the Chosen People by Moses:

in the Gospel of St Luke Jesus identifies Baptism with struggle and suffering:

"I have a Baptism to be baptized with
and how I am constrained until it is accomplished"
(Lk 12:50)

From Early Church Sources.

One of the oldest Church documents, not part of the Canon of Scripture, the "Didache", dated from around the start of the 2^nd century requires that one should be baptized where possible in flowing/living water and advises the candidate and the community to fast as part of the preparation.

Later Hippolytus of Rome (AD 215) in his "ApostolicTradition"describes the necessity for the celebrant to place his hand on the candidate while immersing him three times in the water. During this triple immersion the candidate is questioned about his/her beliefs in the Triune God and Catholic faith. There is much evidence to suggest that confirmation took place immediately afterwards, usually presided over by the bishop.

However as the number of converts grew steadily, especially after the legalization of Christianity by Constantine in the 4^th century, this was gradually ceded to the priest who by then was seen as the representative of the bishop. This was the age of family conversions, whole families and communities converted at the one time and the liturgy of the Church developed to reflect this experience.

Baptism was just one step in this overall process of initiation.
Candidates were also confirmed and received their Eucharist.

The process of initiation was undertaken and celebrated by the whole community. It began with a period of preparation in which the candidates were designated as "catechumens" and later the "elect" and was completed with a period of post-initiation instruction called "mystagogy". This process will later be recovered after Vatican II with the process we now call RCIA.

When viewing Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist together, one can see an immediate complementarity of images and symbols. For example, water reminds one of the "Christic" dimension of initiation, while oil reminds one of the "Spirit" dimension, imitating Jesus’ own experience at the hands of the Baptist. The water vividly symbolizes cleansing and rebirth, a break with the past and the creation of a new future. The anointing symbolizes what baptism leads to: the experience of God’s presence in a new way through the Spirit. Going into the waters of the font is entering the tomb and the waters of chaos. Rising from it to receive the anointing is to become a new creation and to experience life in the Spirit.
 
 

"The water cleanses the body, but the Spirit seals the soul" St Cyril of Jerusalem

Through Baptism one is washed clean from attachments to things of this world and raised to new life in Christ, confirmation is our acknowledgement that the Spirit of the Risen Christ is in our hearts enabling us to respond to the Gospel message and to pray as Jesus taught us. As part of the Body of Christ (the Church) we recognize who we truly and fundamentally are as we gather around the table of the Lord, to offer our endless sacrifice of praise.

Post-apostolic and Medieval Eras.

As the Christianization of Europe was completed there were fewer and fewer adults who were not baptized and so the full process of initiation could not be celebrated. Thus the celebration of baptism became divorced from its integral union with the other sacraments of initiation. The Rite of Baptism as codified by the reformers after the Council of Trent was an adapted and abridged version of this earlier fuller process, now addressed to the needs of infant baptism. In addition, the 1614 Roman Ritual declared that when pouring water on the infant it be poured in the sign of the cross. Pre-baptismal rites also included the renunciation of sin and the ways of evil, the rite of exorcism by blowing on the infant, placing salt on his/her tongue, the anointing with oil of catechumen and the "Ephphetha" by which the nostrils and ears of the infant were touched with spittle and the words "Be open". Post-baptismal rites included the anointing with chrism, the clothing with a white garment and the receipt of a lighted candle.

As is still the case today, the ordinary minister of baptism was declared to be the ordained deacon/priest/bishop unless an emergency situation had occurred. In all cases the minister must have the intention of "doing what the Church does" in baptism and must employ water and the Trinitarian formula. In the Western Church this is the declarative formula: "N, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"

It is interesting to note that in the Eastern Churches the essential link between the sacraments of initiation has been maintained with even infants receiving their confirmation and first communion at their baptism. Much of what we have outlined above still remains part of our rite of baptism, perhaps adapted and renewed to meet our developing sense of what it is to be baptized and be part of the Catholic Church.
 

Vatican II and the Recovery of RCIA.

The years since Vatican II (1961-65) have seen much development in our theology of baptism and in the way baptism is celebrated. Old understandings have been recovered and new ones developed in an attempt to express a theology consistent with our understanding of what it is to be "reborn" in Christ as part of his Church. The restoration of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults "RCIA" has done much to restore to our western theology some key theological insights and understandings that were eclipsed or lost in period when infant baptism was the sole norm.

A Communal Celebration of God’s faithful love!

The baptism is a sacrament and as such is the outward expression of an inward grace: a celebration of God’s faithful love, made primarily manifest in the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Because it is a sacrament, it is a public celebration of the whole Church and it is upon this fundamental understanding that a proper baptismal liturgy must be built. Baptism is a sacrament of faith, but faith needs a community of believers. By Baptism one comes to share in the priesthood of Christ and in his prophetic and royal mission and having become a member of his Church one must profess the faith he has received from God and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God (Lumen Gentium 11). Accordingly, not only should baptism be celebrated in a communal liturgical setting: but the very absence or exclusion of this communal dimension truncates the very theology upon which the sacrament is founded.

The contemporary celebration of baptism should be guided by our contemporary understanding of the sacrament. For example, the General Introduction of Christian Initiation states the following:

Baptism by Immersion.

It is often overlooked that the rubrics of the rite of baptism show a preference for baptism by immersion as a more suitable symbol of participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. Originally, baptism was performed in rivers and lakes, flowing water that seemed to re-echo the very baptism of Jesus in the waters of the Jordan, the sheer quantity of it symbolizing the ever flowing and immeasurable love of God. Later on it was performed indoors as the Church became an integral part of the community, first in bathhouses and later in specially constructed side chapels, near the entrance to the church to signify the first steps of the journey of faith. However, as private infant baptism became the norm fonts became smaller and less water was used and the ecclesial dimension we spoke about above was lost. Since Vatican II, the Church has sought to recapture this dimension by recommending the celebration of the sacrament during Sunday Masses when the worshipping community is present. Not only does it signify the community into which one is baptized but offers the faithful an opportunity to reflect on their own baptismal calling. The re-introduction of adult initiation saw the construction of new and larger fonts, often with flowing water, once more offering the possibility of immersion for both adults and children.

Now and again request are made for private baptism by those who seek the familiarity of "older ways", some indeed prefer the celebration of the sacrament outside of Mass, while others will request private baptism at home to avoid being inconvenienced. Such requests are founded on faulty theology and are as unacceptable as the idea of the priest standing at the door of the Church ready to baptize any infant presented, or indeed the old assumption that one had to baptize as soon as possible even if it meant that the mother was not present. Speed should never take precedence over liturgical authenticity. No longer is it possible to justify anything less than a well-celebrated communal liturgy (ideally Eucharist) during which new members of the family of God are welcomed. Key to this is good preparation that allows the parents to deepen their faith and come to a fuller understanding of the Christian vocation. The celebration of the rite is as much for the parents and the community as it is for the child!
 
 

The Rite of Baptism as celebrated by our Parish

As you are aware the construction and position of our new font has altered the way we celebrate baptisms here at St. Francis. Scriptural associations of baptism with the Paschal mystery imply that the most appropriate days for celebration are the Easter Vigil and Sunday, the day of the Resurrection.

Ritually the rite begins with the celebrant greeting the parent, godparents and family at the door of the church. This is a liminal rite, done at the threshold symbolizing the point of departure for the faith journey. The faith required for baptism is not perfect or mature but simply the opportunity to develop. Here the parents are asked several questions:

What name have you given your child?

What do you ask of the church for N?

The entrance procession now takes place and the families are part of this.

After the homily, before the Prayer of the Faithful, the celebrant invites all to stand for a communal renunciation of sin and profession of faith. Once more he inquires of the parents if they still require their child be baptized. This is to underline that baptism must be embraced voluntarily, without pressure or duress. The celebrant then asks the parents, godparents and siblings of the infant to join him in the procession to the font.

Each child is then baptized either by immersion or pouring with the priest using the traditional, Trinitarian formula.

Next, the child is clothed with a white garment, provided by the parish, symbolizing that is it a new creation in Christ.
 

During the Easter Season, when the Paschal candle is kept lighted in the Sanctuary, we will then process back to the front of the Church for the presentation of the "Light of Christ". In Ordinary Time the Paschal Candle will be placed on the side of the Font and the presentation will take there, allowing the family to later form part of the procession that will present the gifts for Eucharist.

Finally, the rite of "Ephphetha"is performed in which the celebrant prays that the newly baptized will hear the Gospel and proclaim it with his life.

At this point the community signifies its welcome and approval by a round of applause.
 

In conclusion.

Baptism is the foundational sacrament through which one is united to Christ in his Church and gains entrance into a Eucharistic community. Being part of this experience should mean that others will come to recognize God’s loving presence in our words and actions. Participation in the Paschal Mystery of Christ demands that care should be taken to ensure that all involved, candidates, parents and godparents understand the implications of this great mystery into which they have been immersed.

• Baptism Preparation
• Baptism Prayer Service
• Baptism Theology Class
• Sunday Mass Baptism Ceremony
• Godparents