Baptism belongs to seven main Christian Sacraments and is one of the three sacraments of initiation, the other two being the Confirmation and the Eucharist. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines Holy Baptism as “the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church”). Baptism is considered the first-order condition for a person to obtain salvation and Eternal Life with God in Heaven, and without being baptized, the person will not have access to the rest of the Sacraments, thus, it is a main prerequisite to becoming a Christian. Roman Catholics believe that Baptism gives a chance for a person to experience and share the Christ’s death with him with immersing into the water, and resurrect with Jesus by rising up from it. Roman Catholics believe that this rite grants the person forgiveness for all sins, apart from the original sin of Adam and Eve (Hardon). All parts of the rite of Baptism are permeated by symbols, according to the Roman Catholic tradition, and although the details of the service have changed during two millenniums of changes in the Roman Catholic Church, but modern rituals still reflect the symbolism of the sacrament.
As Baptism is the main initiation event in the Roman Catholic’s life as a Christian, the celebration is usually held on Sundays in a group of family members and friends, who are invited to share the greatness and joy of the event. Most of the times, parents baptize their children in the infancy, but adult Baptism happens quite often as well, although, it requires the grown-up to go through the process of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, during which they are studying Christian traditions, beliefs and practices in details (“The Sacrament of Baptism”). As a communal celebration, the sacrament of Baptism is usually open for attendance and participation by all laymen outside the family and friends circle; however, also as a private celebration, it is often visited only by the close ones.
The service, which I had an honor to watch as an outsider, was the infant baptism that took place on Sunday. The parents of the child gladly agreed with my participation in their celebration for the purposes of the research. Before the beginning of the ceremony, about 10 people, including the parents, godparents and the child, gathered in the church waiting for the priest and the ministers. In their hands, they had booklets with hymns to sing during the service, and all dressed formally for the occasion, they were lively talking with each other. Parents have brought white garment for the child, who would be clothed in it after the anointment towards the end of the service. The arrived priest wore a bright-colored stole that indicated the happiness of the upcoming event. After greeting all in attendance, he began with reminding the present people about the importance of the joyful event that the parents decided to give to their infant as a gift for life. Proceeding to the beginning of Baptism, he asked the parents about the name of the child and what the parents intended to request from the Church for the child; the latter replied that they were seeking for the Baptism of the infant. The priest inquired if the parents fully understand their duty as Christians and take responsibility for the duly upbringing of the child in love for God and respect for the Church. After receiving the confirmation, the priest asked for the same reply from the godparents. The priest then turned to the child and traced the cross on her forehead, asking the parents to repeat.
The next stage of baptism is the liturgy of Word, during which the priest read the Gospel of Mark 1: 9-11 about the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, and then proceeded to Mark 10: 13-16, telling the story of Jesus blessing the little children and saying, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (The New American Bible, Mark 10.13-16). The reading was accompanied by singing psalms, and the whole service was overall full of beautiful spiritual songs that highlighted the high spirits of the event. After the reading and explanations of their meaning, everybody was allowed to spend a few minutes thinking about the relevance of Baptism and praying for the child and her family. Later, the priest engaged in a dialogue with the present people, thus, performing the prayer of the faithful, during which everybody prayed for the well-being and happiness of the child, family and godparents. In the next part of the liturgy the priest performed the anointment of the child with the oil of catechumens on the breast for giving strength to the infant, and then he laid his hands on the child. During the next stage, everyone gathered in the baptistery, where the priest said the blessing over the child, reminding everyone how the Holy Spirit overshadowed the water during the days of creation, how the Red Sea parted before Israel to save the people from Egyptian slavery, and finally how Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, when the Christ was anointed by with the Holy Spirit. Although the child is often immersed into the water, this infant was actually poured upon with water in the ritual that signified the death of the sinful soul and the resurrection of the person with the renewed supernatural soul that could now join the Father after the death. Before and during the process of Baptism, the priest was again confirming with the parents their belief in God and their true intentions.
Before clothing the little girl in the while dress and lighting the candle that would signify her faith and enlightenment by Jesus Christ, the priest put the chrism on the child’s crown, thus, sealing her eternal connection with God. After the Baptism was over, the attendants proceeded to the altar, where the priest engaged the public into the Lord’s Prayer and blessed the family and the child in his final words. The festivities did not finish after the end of Baptism, as the participants left for a private dinner, where they could enjoy the rest of the day in a circle of the beloved ones.
Baptism was evidently considered an extremely important event by all present, and although the priest had performed the ritual a great number of times before, his enthusiasm about welcoming a new Christian to the Roman Catholic Church was overt. Supported by constant singing and chanting, the service was permeated by the deep and sacred spirituality of the sacrament, and although the infant did not understand what was happening, it was a moment of love and care, as the parents decided to help their child reach Heaven and join God in future, according to their beliefs.
Works Cited
"Catechism of the Catholic Church - The sacrament of Baptism." The Holy See. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014. <http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c1a1.htm>.
Hardon, S.J., Rev. John A.. "The Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation." Catholic Education Resourse Center. TheCatholicFaith, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014. <http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0285.html>.
The New American Bible. The Holy See. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Web. 25 Oct. 2014. <http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__PWC.HTM>.
"The Sacrament of Baptism." Loyola Press - A Jesuit Ministry. Loyola Press, n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2014. <http://www.loyolapress.com/sacrament-of-baptism.htm>.
