Baptism calls Catholics to Jesus

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
August 16, 2007

"I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," says the priest as he welcomes a new member into the church as a Catholic.

"We become Christians when we are baptized - either at the choice of our parents, if we are baptized as an infant, or as our own choice, if we choose as an adult later in life to become Christian through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program," said Father Craig Collison, pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Sioux City.

"Baptism makes us a member of the body Christ," said Vera Ludwig, director of family programs for the Diocese of Sioux City. "It incorporates that person into the church and into sharing in the mission of the Catholic Church."

Baptism, the first sacrament Catholics receive, is the one of three sacraments of initiation. The others are Eucharist and confirmation.

"In the death of baptism, we rise to new life," said Father Collison. "That is completed in confirmation when, as a young adult or adult, we make our final pledge as an individual to choose to live our lives as Catholics and as Christians in the Catholic tradition."

The sacrament of baptism for an infant or child is directed toward the parents and godparents in regard to their duty as Christian parents, the priest pointed out.

"They make pledges and renew their own baptismal promises in order to make the pledge that they will do everything to raise this child in the Catholic faith and the Catholic tradition," he said. "They assume an awesome responsibility at that point."

Ludwig said parents are "in charge of the 'domestic church' and so they are extremely important in modeling and living out their faith with their child or children. Godparents are important role models, too. They need to be living and practicing their faith and in turn they are helping the child understand what it means to be a part of the larger Christian community."

Through baptism, Catholics are called to worship and devotion of Jesus as Lord and God, said Father Collison.

"It is a call to follow Jesus, to listen to his voice and to answer the call of the Lord, whatever it might be for anyone," said the priest.

There are symbols for all the sacraments and the four of baptism are water, the Oil of Catechumens, a candle and a white garment. Each has a significant meaning.

The priest pours water over the child's forehead.

"The beautiful sign of water is the cleansing of sin and a new beginning of goodness," said Father Collison.

Each time someone enters church and makes the sign of the cross with holy water, they are remembering their baptism, said Ludwig.

The second symbol, the Oil of Catechumens, a mixture of olive oil and balsam, was blessed by the bishop at the Chrism Mass during Holy Week. The priest or deacon uses the oil to bless the child's forehead with the sign of the cross.

When anointed with the oil, the person baptized is strengthened for "their lifelong journey as a child of God through their commitment to Christ and his mission," said Ludwig.

The oil is a mark of being a Christian.

"It has been an ancient tradition for many years as priests, prophets and kings were anointed with oil. We are anointed at major times in our sacramental lives as well - baptism, confirmation and holy orders," said Father Collison.

The baptismal candle represents the transition from darkness into light - new life, new birth and new light.

"We celebrate our birthday with cake and candles. This is a birth, too," said Father Collison. "It is the celebration of the light of Christ that has now entered the heart of the individual that is being baptized."

He urges people to use their baptismal candle along with birthday candles to not forget "their birth into Christianity."

The white garment or alb is a symbol of purity and cleansing, which is placed on the child during baptism. Some families dress their child in elaborate baptismal gowns, many of which have been passed down through several generations.