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CCC Baptism

Baptism has been seen throughout history as a symbol of salvation and new life. It is prefigured in several Old Testament events like Noah's ark and the crossing of the Red Sea. Jesus commanded the apostles to baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since Pentecost, the Church has celebrated baptism as a sacrament of initiation into the Christian faith that cleanses people of sin. Christian initiation traditionally involved stages of catechesis, rites, and finally receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults restored the catechumenate for adults and allows for cultural adaptation in mission

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174 views1 page

CCC Baptism

Baptism has been seen throughout history as a symbol of salvation and new life. It is prefigured in several Old Testament events like Noah's ark and the crossing of the Red Sea. Jesus commanded the apostles to baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Since Pentecost, the Church has celebrated baptism as a sacrament of initiation into the Christian faith that cleanses people of sin. Christian initiation traditionally involved stages of catechesis, rites, and finally receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults restored the catechumenate for adults and allows for cultural adaptation in mission

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norielle oberio
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© © All Rights Reserved
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- Since the beginning of the world, water, so humble and wonderful a creature, has been the

source of life and fruitfulness. Sacred Scripture sees it as "overshadowed" by the Spirit of God:
- The Church has seen in Noah's ark a prefiguring of salvation by Baptism, for by it "a few, that is,
eight persons, were saved through water"
- the crossing of the Red Sea, literally the liberation of Israel from the slavery of Egypt, announces
the liberation wrought by Baptism
- Baptism is prefigured in the crossing of the Jordan River by which the People of God received
the gift of the land promised to Abraham's descendants, an image of eternal life. The promise of
this blessed inheritance is fulfilled in the New Covenant
- Christ begins his public life after having himself baptized by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan
- After his resurrection, Christ gives this mission to his apostles: "Go therefore and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."
- From the very day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy Baptism.
Indeed St. Peter declares to the crowd astounded by his preaching: "Repent, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Baptism is seen as connected with faith: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you
and your household," St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi. And the narrative continues, the
jailer "was baptized at once, with all his family."
- From the time of the apostles, becoming a Christian has been accomplished by a journey and
initiation in several stages. This journey can be covered rapidly or slowly, but certain essential
elements will always have to be present: proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel
entailing conversion, profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and
admission to Eucharistic communion.
- This initiation has varied greatly through the centuries according to circumstances. In the first
centuries of the Church, Christian initiation saw considerable development. A long period of
catechumenate included a series of preparatory rites, which were liturgical landmarks along the
path of catechumenal preparation and culminated in the celebration of the sacraments of
Christian initiation.
- The second Vatican Council restored for the Latin Church "the catechumenate for adults,
comprising several distinct steps." The rites for these stages are to be found in the Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The Council also gives permission that: "In mission countries,
in addition to what is furnished by the Christian tradition, those elements of initiation rites may
be admitted which are already in use among some peoples insofar as they can be adapted to the
Christian ritual."
- Today in all the rites, Latin and Eastern, the Christian initiation of adults begins with their entry
into the catechumenate and reaches its culmination in a single celebration of the three
sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. In the Eastern rites the
Christian initiation of infants also begins with Baptism followed immediately by Confirmation
and the Eucharist, while in the Roman rite it is followed by years of catechesis before being
completed later by Confirmation and the Eucharist, the summit of their Christian initiation.

From Catechism of the Catholic Church 1218 - 1233

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