Catholicism 102– Class #2

Introduction to Baptism and Confirmation

Marcel LeJeune

Baptism

-The Necessity of Baptism - John 3:5

-The most necessary of the Sacraments

-Original sin is wiped away and we are reborn into the family of God

-Baptism as the means of restoring man to righteousness with God

-Necessary Disposition of Baptism

-Faith, either by the Parents or the recipient

-Infant Baptism

-Only within the last 400 years has the claim been made that only adults should be baptized.

-The bible talks of entire families being baptized – Acts 16:14-15; 16:30-33 and 1 Cor 1:16

-“Baptize first the children, and if they can speak for themselves, let them do so. Otherwise, let their

parents or other relatives speak for them.”-St. Hippolytus (The Apostolic Tradition 21:16 [A.D. 215]).

-"The Church received from the apostles the tradition of giving baptism even to infants. The apostles, to

whom were committed the secrets of the divine sacraments, knew there are in everyone innate strains of

[original] sin, which must be washed away through water and the Spirit" -Origen (Commentaries on

Romans 5:9 [A.D. 248]).

-Do you wait before the child understands MEDICINE or vitamins before you give them to him?

-The Effects of Baptism

-Remission of all sin, personal and original

-Obtain Sanctifying grace, the life of the Trinity

-Gain Friendship with Christ

-Become Children of God

-Are made Temples of the Holy Spirit

-Made Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven

-Made members of Christ’s Church, the Communion of Saints

-Entrance into the Sacramental Economy

-Sealed forever with an indelible mark – soul have the imprint of Christ upon them.

-The baptized person has received a GIFT that the unbaptized person does not have:

-The grace of Jesus is flowing through them.

-They are drawing from a deeper well.

-They are better equipped for the struggle against evil.

-The Form of Baptism

-“I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”

- Mt 28:18-19

The proper matter of Baptism

-Immersion and pouring in clean water

-“Concerning baptism, baptize in this manner: Having said all these things beforehand, baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit in living water [that is, in running water, as in a river]. If there is no living water, baptize in other water; and, if you are not able to use cold water, use warm. If you have neither, pour water three times upon the head in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." – Didache (circa 70 ad)

The minister of Baptism

-The ordinary minister is an ordained minister

-Anyone who has the same intention as the Church

-Baptisms by non-Catholic Christians are valid when done with same intention and with proper form and

matter.

Questions about Baptism

-Baptism by desire and Blood

-God desires all to live forever with Him and is not bound by the Sacraments, though Catholics are

-Baptism of desire - When we love God above all and desire to do all necessary for salvation.

-Baptism of blood – die for the faith – martyrdom.

-Children who die without Baptism

-God desires all to be saved 1 Tim 2:4 → Jn 3:5

-God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments. CCC 1257

-Trust in mercy and love of God

-CCC1261 “As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them. Indeed, the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus' tenderness toward children which caused him to say: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them," allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism. All the more urgent is the Church's call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.”

  • Bible;
  • Gen 7:1-8:19, The Flood
  • Ex 14:10-30, The parting of the Red Sea
  • Mt 13:17, The Baptism of Jesus
  • Mt 28:18-19, The Commissioning of the Apostles to Baptize
  • John 3:1-18, The necessity to be born again of water and the Holy Spirit
  • Rom 6:3-11, We are baptized into Christ’s death
  • Eph 4:4-6, One Body, one faith, one baptism
  • Col 2:12, New Life through Baptism
  • CCC 404- 420, 1213-1284, 1987-2027
  • CCC 75-77, 252-264, 422-426

Confirmation

-The origins of Confirmation

-In the Bible – movements of the Holy Spirit

1 – HS is promised

-Angel tells Mary that she will conceive by the Holy Spirit - Lk. 1:26

-Told Jesus will be recognized because he gives the Spirit w/o measure Jn 3:33-34

-Jesus tells disciples to remain until Spirit comes. - Luke 24:48-49 and Jn. 14:15.

2 – The HS comes in the book of Acts in Pentecost

-Acts 1:5-8, the promise is of the Spirit with power again

-Acts 2:1-4 the Spirit comes with power.

3 – The apostles must now do what they were commanded and now understand to do.

- give the Spirit

-Acts 2:38 - must repent and be baptized

-Acts 8:14-16 - baptism is only the 1st part & also have laying on of hands that brings the Spirit – Note that the pagan magician even see how the Spirit of power comes to others.

-In the Tradition of the Church

-"After coming from the place of washing we are thoroughly anointed with a blessed unction, from the ancient discipline by which [those] in the priesthood . . . were accustomed to be anointed with a horn of oil, ever since Aaron was anointed by Moses. . . . So also with us, the unction runs on the body and profits us spiritually, in the same way that baptism itself is a corporal act by which we are plunged in water, while its effect is spiritual, in that we are freed from sins. After this, the hand is imposed for a blessing, invoking and inviting the Holy Spirit" – Tertullian (Baptism 7:1–2, 8:1 [A.D. 203]).

-"[A]re not hands, in the name of the same Christ, laid upon the baptized persons among them, for the reception of the Holy Spirit?" – Cyprian of Carthage ((Letters 74[73]:5 [A.D. 253]).

-The Effects of Confirmation

-An indelible mark

-The seven fold gift of the Holy Spirit

-The fulfillment of Baptism

-Confirms as witnesses of the Faith

-The person is more perfectly bound to the Church through the confirming of baptism’s gifts.

-The person receives a fuller outpouring of the Spirit. Fuller ability brings more responsibility.

-This greater responsibility needs greater strength which the sacrament brings.

-The proper Matter

-The laying on of hands and the anointing with oil

-The proper Form

-Be sealed with the Holy Spirit

-The minister

-The proper minister is the Bishop

-Delegated to the priest

-Necessary prerequisites for Confirmation

-Baptism

-The State of Grace

-Different Traditions; the Confirmation of Infants and adults

-New Pentecost

-“The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of the sacrament of Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of Pentecost in the Church.” – Pope Paul VI

  • Bible;
  • Is 11:2, The Gifts of the Spirit
  • Is 61:1, The Holy Spirit through anointing
  • Mat 3:11, Christ will baptize with the Holy Spirit and Fire
  • Mk 1:9-11, The anointing of Christ with the Holy Spirit after Baptism
  • Jn 7:37-39, The Curing of the Blind man through anointing
  • Acts 1:5-8, The Promise of the Holy Spirit
  • Acts 2:1-4, Pentecost
  • Acts 8:14-17, The giving of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands
  • Acts 19:1-6, Paul baptizes and Confirms 12 Ephesians
  • 2Cor 1:21-22, The seal of the Holy Spirit on our Soul
  • Gal 5:22, The Fruits of the Holy Spirit
  • Eph 1:13, The Ephesians where sealed with the Holy Spirit
  • Eph 4:30, Admonition not to sin because they are sealed with the Holy Spirit
  • CCC;1285-1321
  • CCCC 265-270