Baptism

The Mystery of Baptism Baptism, as the central act of Christian initiation, is a rite rich in significance. At its heart are two fundamental affirmations. First, baptism, celebrated with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and completed by chrismation and the reception of the Eucharist, brings about our union with God in Christ and our sharing in Christ’s death and resurrection. It is the act that marks the beginning of every distinctively Christian life; so, with the Apostle Paul, we affirm: “As many of you who have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ” (Gal.3:27). https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/vocation-and-mission

The pope’s ‘inverted pyramid’ vision of the church By Michael M. Canaris -August 2, 201801358 Many experts argue that Pope Francis’ homily on Oct. 17, 2015 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops is among his most programmatic discourses on his ideas about the church thus far. In that compact but weighty speech, the pope puts forward a vision of the church which he calls an “inverted pyramid,” with the People of God, the base, above what is normally perceived to be the “apex.” The clergy, bishops, cardinals, and even His Holiness the “servant of servants of God,” himself are all located beneath the People, playing the role of undergirding systems of support for the wider believing faithful, not franchise branch managers, or guardians and dispensers of oligarchical stockpiles of grace. The ministers (from “minus” meaning “less”) do not “lord their power” over the rest of the People, but rather serve them effectively and tirelessly. This is the mark ...

https://www.usccb.org/committees/ecumenical-interreligious-affairs/vocation-and-mission The Vocation and Mission of the People of God: THE NORTH AMERICAN ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC THEOLOGICAL CONSULTATION The Vocation and Mission of the People of God: “A Chosen Race, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation” But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.Once you were no people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy. (I Peter 2:9-10) Our Lord Jesus Christ continues to call individuals to be his disciples, members of the “holy nation” we call his Church. From the day of Pentecost, this saving relationship with Christ has normally been established through the solemn and joyous event of baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit. A sacred rite, rich with deep significance - baptism, in water and in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy...

https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/spiritual-reflections/finding-god

The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church Learn About the Practice and Effects of the Sacrament of Baptism https://www.learnreligions.com/the-sacrament-of-baptism-542130 Pope Benedict baptizes a child. (L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Pool/Getty Images) Pope Benedict XVI baptizes a child in the Sistine Chapel on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 8, 2012. Photo by L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Pool / Getty Images By Scott P. Richert Updated May 04, 2019 The Sacrament of Baptism is often called "The door of the Church," because it is the first of the seven sacraments not only in time (since most Catholics receive it as infants) but in priority since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it. It is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation, the other two being the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Once baptized, a person becomes a member of the Church. Traditionally, the rite (or ceremony) of baptism was held ...

Confession Before Baptism Authored By: Father Edward McNamara A ZENIT DAILY DISPATCH Confession Before Baptism ROME, 22 MARCH 2011 (ZENIT) Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university. Q: A young lady of about 13 years came to me for confession at a parish. She said that this was her first confession, and I asked her if she knew what it was all about. She said, "No" and then I asked her if she was baptized. She said, "No" also to this, whereupon I told her that she couldn't receive the sacrament, as of course she had not been baptized. She then said that she had been told that the teacher of the RCIA class had told her to come to me, as she was to be baptized at Easter (after three months of catechumenate). I tried to explain to her what the sacraments were — to her great surprise, as she knew nothing about them! Off she went, and later on I understood that she had gone to the parish priest ...

What Happens to Babies Who Die Before Baptism? BY BIRGIT J · PUBLISHED OCTOBER 20, 2018 · UPDATED OCTOBER 20, 2018 What Happens to BabiesWho Die Before Baptism? http://catholiclifeinourtimes.com/babies-die-baptism/ Since October is Respect Life Month and Pregnancy Loss Month, it is only natural to question what happens to these little souls. Grieving families wonder what happens to their babies who die before Baptism. What happens to these precious little souls for Eternity? . Baptism Is Necessary For Salvation As Catholic Christians we are gravely aware of the necessity of the sacraments for Eternal Salvation. The first, and therefore, most important early sacrament is Baptism – the washing away of the Original Sin handed down by our First Parents. As Catholic parents, we are admonished by Holy Mother Church, to avail our children of this cleansing Sacrament as early in a child’s life as possible. Yet, we’ve all heard of the tragedies of early infant loss or abortion and can’t ...

Vatican News @VaticanNews #Gospel of the Day (St Mark 1:7-11) It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. http://ow.ly/bCZz50D3Oap

The Church becoming synodal, part 1: Lumen gentium and the inverted pyramid Posted on: 6th January 2021 |Author: Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ Category: Church and Papacy Tags: synod, synodality, pope francis, Vatican II ‘Pope Francis has underlined how “synodality” grounds, shapes and empowers both the life of the Church and the witness and service it is called to render to the human family’, writes Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ – but what does the term really mean? He explores the roots of synodality in Vatican II, and the way in which it necessitates the participation of all the baptised in the life of the Church, in this first part of a rich presentation of a synodal Church. When the term ‘synodality’ is applied to the Church, it is not meant to designate a mere decision-making process. It is not about collaborative decision-making that reviews alternatives, makes choices, distributes responsibilities and carries out programmes. Rather, synodality expresses a fundamental characte...

Pope: Mary is the road we must travel to reach Jesus - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2021-01/pope-mary-is-the-road-we-must-travel-to-reach-jesus.html Pope: Mary is the road we must travel to reach Jesus In a homily read by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis reflects on three words that find their fulfilment in Mary, the Mother of God: to bless, to be born, and to find. By Vatican News staff reporter Holy Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God, was celebrated on the morning of New Year’s Day by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, standing in for Pope Francis, who is suffering a painful attack of sciatica. In his homily, which was read by Cardinal Parolin, Pope Francis focused on three words from the day’s readings: to bless, to be born, and to find, which he said “find their fulfillment in the Mother of God.” To bless Beginning with the first Reading, where God commands Moses to bless the people, Pope Francis...