Baptism In the Catholic Church
In the Catholic Church, baptism is the first sacrament a person receives. It is the gateway to all other sacraments. Infant baptism is practiced because it is necessary for a child born to Christian parents to be exposed to Christian life as soon as possible.
Godparents (typically friends or family) are chosen to serve as witnesses at the baptism in the Catholic Church and to swear to support and encourage the child in their religious development.
What does Baptism Do?
Baptism does the following:
- It makes us God's children
- It cleanses us from the shame of original and personal sin.
- We die to our previous life and are reborn.
- It serves as the entrance to the Church.
As a result, we are set free from evil and made co-heirs with Christ. Even if a child has not personally sinned, they share the same fallen human nature as everyone else and are in desperate need to be redeemed.
They have inherited damnation rather than redemption and salvation. As a result, everyone is saved only by God's compassion and mercy, not by our nature at conception.
Why are Exorcisms Done at a Baptism In the Catholic Church?
Exorcisms performed at baptisms are referred to as "minor" exorcisms. This is a sign of renunciation of the devil. For a child, it is a symbol of the parent's desire for the youngster to be free of evil.
The minor exorcism is thus a rite done at baptism in order to cast out the devil and prepare the person to receive Christ's life.
Why Is Oil Used at Baptism?
Oil is employed because of the symbolism it represents. When a person is baptized, two types of oil are used: catechumens oil and chrism oil. The receipt of the Holy Spirit's gifts is symbolized by the oil of chrism, while the reception of strength and wisdom is symbolized by the oil of catechumens.
It's all part of the process of creating a spiritual home for Jesus to live in.
Baptism is an important part of being a Catholic. Through baptism we are able to be free from all that is evil and is reborn into lives where the main purpose is to serve God.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is always present at Baptism in the Catholic Church and through this we become the sons and daughters of God. There are several gifts that the Holy Spirit imparts on us at our Baptism. They are, fear of the Lord, piety, fortitude, counsel, knowledge, understanding, wisdom.
These are precious gift that help you to live the Christian life to the best of your ability. These gifts will take you through the storms of life that you may encounter. The Holy Spirit brings the gift of peace in addition to other gifts. Jesus refers to Him as our comforter.
The Holy Spirit is often the most neglected person in the trinity. For our spiritual sanctification it would do us good to direct our prayers to Him more regularly and ask Him to strengthen in us those gifts we so freely received at our Baptism.