Baptism is the primordial sacrament of forgiveness.
Baptism is always the first sacrament that a Christian receives; indeed, it is the sacrament that makes one a Christian. In receiving this sacrament a person is fundamentally, permanently and irrevocably changed. In the language of the Church, it is said that baptism leaves an indelible spiritual mark.
There are many effects of this sacrament. These effects include:
- making one a co-heir with the crucified and risen Christ
- making one a temple of the Holy Spirit
- incorporating one into the Church
- making one a participant in Christ’s three-fold office of priest, prophet, and king.
But among all these effects there is another that stands out. Baptism forgives all sins, both Original and personal, and makes of one a new creation.
It is important to remember that baptism, and the forgiveness it brings, is a grace and gift from God that does not presuppose any human merit. We don’t do anything to earn the graces of baptism. This is one of the reasons that the Church has always seen it as legitimate to baptize infants, a practice that goes back to apostolic times when entire households, infants included, were often baptized together.
Because of the Church’s practice of infant baptism, and an infant’s incapacity to commit a personal sin, people sometimes focus exclusively on the forgiveness of Original Sin and forget that baptism forgives personal sins as well. For adults being baptized as a part of RCIA this is a significant and important point to remember! In the early Church, when the baptism of adults was more common than it is today, they remembered this very well. In fact, there were times when many people delayed baptism until they were near death in order to make sure that all of the personal sins of their entire lifetime were washed away in the waters of baptism. Thankfully, today we recognize other sacramental opportunities for forgiveness so that we do not feel the need to delay baptism until near death.
Baptism is the first, and in many ways, the most important sacramental gift of God’s forgiveness.
Reflection Question
Have you ever been witness to the baptism of an adult? If so, did you notice any sign that expressed that person's experience of God's radical forgiveness? Knowing that you received the same graces in your own baptism, how does that affect your understanding of yourself as a Christian disciple?
Scripture to Explore
Luke 7:31-50
Additional References
Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1263, 1265, 1282
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults p. 192
Catechetical Framework for Lifelong Faith Formation MA.2.2.15, MA.2.2.16
Resource for Adult Faith Formation
Prepared for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Distributed courtesy of the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL)
© Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the copyright holder.
Permission is hereby granted to all (arch)dioceses, parishes, Catholic schools, and other ecclesial entities to reproduce this document in whole or in part, in whatever form is most expedient, for the purposes of catechizing the People of God, provided that the copyright information on this page is included in its entirety. This grant does not diminish the rights reserved hereunder.
