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"Sacrament of Baptism: Becoming a Christian" (USCCA, Chapter 15)
OPENING PRAYER
Peace Within
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you
May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
—attributed to St. Therèse of Lisieux and St. Theresa of Avila
Source: https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/prayer-index/morning-and-new-beginnings-prayers
"BAPTISM" BECOMING A CHRISTIAN"
—CCC, Nos. 1076–1209
"You were buried with [Christ] in baptism, in which you were also raised with [Christ] through faith in the power of God,who raised [Christ] from the dead"
Colossians 2:12
Have you ever experienced any initiation ceremony prior to joining any organization or other group? How did that experience make you feel?
Baptism, together with Confirmation and the Eucharist, constitute the “Sacraments of Christian Initiation.”Faith and Baptism are necessary for our salvation and entry into Christ’s Church.
Our Baptism is our birth into new life in Christ and makes us children of God. It incorporates us into Christ’s redemptive death on the Cross, frees us from Original Sin and all personal sins, and allows us to rise with Christ to eternal life.
The only prerequisite to Baptism is faith, which we publicly profess during Baptism. We profess our faith in our Triune God, and we renounce those choices, values, and beliefs that are opposed to Christ. We renounce sin, we reject Satan, and we agree to live in the freedom of being children of God.
Since Baptism is a covenant with God, we must freely consent to it. With respect to the Baptism of children, the parents, godparents, and the entire community present confess this faith on behalf of the children.
The usual form of Baptism is through the threefold immersion of the candidate in water, or the pouring of water three times over the candidate’s head, while the minister of the sacrament proclaims the words, “[Candidate’s Name], I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Our soul is “sealed” with a permanent, spiritual mark or character identifying us as belonging to Christ. Because of the permanency of this spiritual mark, Baptism cannot be repeated.
At Baptism, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, and we become members of the Body of Christ. There is a mystical union between Christ and his people, and between one another. We are like the branches of a single vine, all connected to one another through Christ. We are linked across generations, space and time. We all share a common dignity and are united in the vision and values that prioritize love of God, others, self, and all creation.
We accept our lifelong, baptismal responsibility to grow in holiness. Through the power of the Holy Spirit and with the Church—the People of God—we become actively involved in living, witnessing, proclaiming, and continuing Christ’s mission to promote and bring God’s reign of love, justice, peace, mercy, healing, forgiveness, and salvation in our sphere of influence.
Please read this week
USCCA,Chapter 15, "Baptism: Becoming a Christian," (pages 181–199), the
CCC, Nos. 1210–1284, (pages 311–325), and the
Compendium, Nos. 250–264
REFLECT ON YOUR EXPERIENCE
How do you live out your baptismal call to holiness?
What thoughts, behavior, or actions need to die in your life so that you may be raised to new life in Christ?
We encourage and invite you to spend time to reflect, pray, and write in your journal about what you have read, seen, heard, or experienced this week. You can find some questions you may wish to consider here.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, in now, and ever shall be.
Amen.