On Baptism

Sacraments. The word conjures up a sense of the mystical and the transcendent. The etymology of the word sacrament strengthens this sense. The English word sacrament is born of the Latin word, sacre, and may be translated as sacred or hallowed. From the Greek translation, we get the word musterion, which we translate into the word mystery. These two ancient languages provide us with a working definition of the sacraments as a sacred mystery. Finally, Saint Augustine provides us with an essential definition of the sacraments, “Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our sanctification”. The purpose of sacraments is to, “Sanctify, to build up the Body of Christ and, finally, to worship God. Because they are signs, they also instruct. They not only presuppose faith, but by words and objects they also nourish, strengthen, and express it” (the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council).


The Catholic Church enumerates seven sacraments, all of them instituted by Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the process of accepting these sacraments was a process conducted over time. These seven sacraments, officially named in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council, would not be officially codified until the Council of Trent (1545–1563). Over time these seven sacraments were further divided into three categories: initiation, healing, and service. It seems only natural to begin with Baptism.

Baptism is the sacrament most associated with entry into the Christian faith. Nevertheless, its origins may be found in the Jewish ritual known as “tevilah”, which is based upon the priestly rituals in the book of Leviticus. Specifically, these rituals were used for the purpose of spiritual cleansing. The book of Leviticus develops a leitmotif upon ritual washing and the necessity of cleanliness before God. It was paramount that one was pure before one could sacrifice in the Temple, which was the center of Jewish life. This cleansing was also considered a form of repentance and it is in this vein that John the Baptist would baptize. Repentance was necessary for the forgiveness of past sins, but even John the Baptist understood that this was insufficient and that the One who was to come after John would “baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11). 

I think it may be helpful to understand the spiritual significance of water in both Judaism and Catholicism. The word water is used over five hundred times in the Old Testament and is used to signify both creation and regeneration, but it is water's power to cleanse that makes it symbolic of Baptism. As Saint John Damascene writes, “Water, then, is the most beautiful element and rich in usefulness, and purifies from all filth, and not only from the filth of the body but from that of the soul, if it should have received the grace of the Spirit”.  It is no coincidence then that Jesus speaks of "the living water" which refers to the Holy Spirit (see John 4:10 and John 7:37-39). 

The Gospel of Mark provides an account of the first baptisms being administered by John the Baptist. While those baptisms were not sacramental, they were done for the purpose of the repentance of sins. Jesus would later call His disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:18-20). 

Within the context of the New Testament, baptism was to symbolize the death of the old self and the rebirth of a new life that is to be made manifest by faith in and obedience to God. It is Saint Paul who eloquently articulates this principle, "Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life." (Romans 6:4). It is baptism then that is to symbolize this new birth, this being born again that allows one to become an adopted child of God and a member of the body of Christ which is the Catholic Church. For it is in baptism that we are cleansed from original sin, thereby reinstating our status as adopted children of God and heirs of heaven, a status lost at the Fall.

As Baptism is the first sacrament to be administered, it can be seen as an initiation. Indeed, the theologian and author Tertullian observed that much like the oath taken by a soldier, which begins the soldier’s life in the military, so too the sacrament of baptism initiates the Christian into the mystical body of Christ, the Catholic Church.  

The basis for baptism as it relates to salvation is most clearly articulated in the Gospel of John. In John 3:3, we read, “Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. To be “born anew” is to die to the flesh, which is infected with original sin, and be born into the spirit, the effect of which is to restore the grace lost by original sin. So while baptism is often defined negatively by stating that it takes away sin, it should also be understood positively, by restoring the Grace that was lost by original sin. From this, it becomes clear that the cleansing of original sin makes baptism necessary for salvation since original sin would act as a barrier to entry into heaven.

The mention of the word baptism often conjures up the image of a priest pouring water from a baptismal font onto the head of a baby. However, the Catholic Church distinguishes between three types of baptism. The first is the most common, that of baptism by water. The second type of baptism is that of the baptism of martyrdom. This is a baptism of one who dies for the faith before he has had a chance to be baptized by water. The third type of baptism is the baptism of desire. It is a baptism of an individual who expresses a sincere desire to be baptized but dies before he is provided with an opportunity to be baptized by water. 

It is in baptism that one dies, but it is also in baptism that one begins anew. The journey has only begun.