Sermon on the Baptism of the Lord

Jan 9, 2022 Rev. Fr. Luis Calleja

Today is the great feast of the Baptism of the Lord.  It is the last day of the Christmas season.  After this weekend, we go back to Ordinary Time until Ash Wednesday to begin the great season of Lent.  

The Sacrament of Baptism is called the first Sacrament of Initiation.  This means that Catholics have historically understood that Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation (CCC 1257).  When a person is baptized, he or she is conformed to Christ, meaning, they are “made Christian”, or “Christened.”  Baptism leaves a permanent mark on the person’s soul thus becoming a “Temple of the Holy Spirit.”  Baptism should be as important as one’s birthday. Mostly everyone knows the day of their birth, but do you know the date of your Baptism?

There are no age restrictions for baptism; however, people often ask me: “Why do Catholics get baptized when they’re babies?”  The Catechism (1252) states, “The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that when whole ‘households’ received baptism, infants may also have been baptized as well.” 

The Church has always seen infant Baptism as a great gift and responsibility, something that “accords with the parents’ role as nurturers of the life that God has entrusted to them” (CCC 1251).

Now, anyone can perform a baptism, however this is typically done only in extreme cases when the person’s life is in danger.  In normal circumstances, Bishops, Priests and Deacons have the authority to baptize.  

To be validly baptized, the proper Trinitarian Formula must be used: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  If you were baptized from another Christian church with the Trinitarian formula, you are validly baptized.  Usually, the baptismal certificate tells you.  However, if the minister used different words, you are not validly baptized, and you will need to see a priest.  

Water is used to symbolically and spiritually “wash away” the Original Sin that we inherited from Adam, either through full immersion or by washing.  Other Christians, including some Catholic parishes, practice full immersion, however, pouring the water over the person is also valid because it symbolizes “washing.” 

Now during the ceremony, the priest or deacon uses sacred Chrism, or sacred oil to anoint the back of the person’s head by making the sign of the cross.  This is the symbol of the Holy Spirit making you His Temple. Chrism is used again at Confirmation, and when a man becomes a priest, his hands are anointed with Chrism by the bishop.  This shows that the person and the priest is CONSECRATED (or made sacred) to God.

Now, a student once asked me, “If Jesus was sinless, why did He need to be baptized?” Jesus didn’t need to be baptized because He had no sins to be washed away. But what He did was that He sanctified the waters by descending into it.  Pope Benedict writes, “Immersion into the waters is a symbol of death, which recalls the death symbolism of the annihilating, destructive power of the ocean flood. Looking at the events (of Christ’s baptism) [He] loaded the burden of all mankind’s guilt upon his shoulders and bore it down into the depths of the Jordan. He inaugurated his public activity by stepping into the place of sinners. Thus, His Baptism was an acceptance of death for the sins of humanity, and the voice that calls out “This is my beloved Son” over the baptismal waters is the anticipation to the Resurrection.”

Another question I got from a student was: “If a person is not baptized, will he or she be saved?”  Theologian Jimmy Akin says, “Historically, the Church has taught that the graces of baptism can be received not only through the administration of the sacrament itself (baptism of water) but also through the desire for the sacrament (baptism of desire) or through martyrdom for Christ (baptism of blood).”    This meant that if a person died before being baptized, but had an explicit desire to receive the Sacrament, then that person was baptized by desire.  If a person suffered martyrdom before being baptized, he or she was baptized by blood.  

The Catechism states, “The Church has always held the firm conviction that those who suffer death for the sake of the faith without having received Baptism are baptized by their death for and with Christ. This Baptism of blood, like the desire for Baptism, brings about the fruits of Baptism without being a sacrament.” (CCC 1258)   

Now if a person is genuinely committed to seeking and living out the truth and living a good and moral life, even though he or she doesn’t know Christ and His teachings, then that person can be saved.  This is the principle that makes it possible for non-Christians to be saved.  

Older Catholics were taught in school about the concept of Limbus Infantium, or Limbo of Children – this was the permanent state of those who died with original sin on their souls but are innocent of any personal guilt.  The Church has never defined the existence of limbo, although she has more than once supported the fact by her authority.  In 2005 Pope Benedict made it clear that he believed the concept of limbo should be abandoned because it was "only a theological hypothesis" and "never a defined truth of faith".  The Catechism states: “Those children who die without the benefit of baptism the Church can only entrust to the mercy of God.” (CCC 1261)

Unfortunately, a lot of parents today just want to have their kids baptized for the wrong reasons.  Some of these reasons are: 

• Getting their child baptized so they can go to Catholic school
• Getting their child baptized because no other church will 
• Getting their child baptized because another family member had their child baptized, so they want the same but without any spiritual responsibility (just the big party afterward)
• This one is very common: the grandmother keeps insisting on having their grandchild baptized.  Grandma may have good intentions, but remember, it’s not the grandparent’s decision unless they have full custody of the child! St Thomas Aquinas explains that parents are, by natural law, responsible for their children, and would be contrary to natural justice if the children were baptized against their parents’ will.  Even if the child was born out of wedlock, it’s up to the parents of the child to have him or her baptized.  In this case, Baptism by Desire is perfectly legitimate.  

Right now, baptisms are fully booked at our parish, and there’s a waiting list.  Again, Baptism by Desire is legitimate.  But how many of these parents who had their children baptized sacramentally actually come to mass regularly?  Unfortunately, for some, I won’t see them again until it’s their First Communion and Confirmation. But in the Code of Canon Law it states that “for an infant to be baptized licitly, there must be founded hope that the child will be brought up in the Catholic religion.”  I sincerely hope that every baby I baptize on Sunday has SOME exposure to the faith, even if the parents rarely, if ever, come to mass.  And that’s where Grandma can come in; but again, she can only encourage and not force the child to come to church or get baptized.

Regarding godparents - they must be at least 16 years of age, PRACTICING CATHOLICS IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE CHURCH, AND HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE PREVIOUS SACRAMENTS OF BAPTISM, EUCHARIST, AND CONFIRMATION.  This ensures that the baptized person will have someone they can look up and be a good example of living the Christian life.  It won’t make sense if your godparent is a baptized Catholic but not a practicing one.  Also, you can have two godparents, but both need to be male and female and not of the same gender. 

A non-Catholic baptized Christian can also serve as a “Christian Witness”; however, the other sponsor MUST be Catholic.  The Christian witness is not a “godparent” and shouldn’t be referred as one.  Lastly, for obvious reasons, a non baptized person cannot be a godparent or a Christian Witness.

Please note that the Church will never deny a Sacrament, but only postpone it depending on the situation.  However, there are certain RESPONSIBILITIES in receiving the Sacraments for the right reasons; and that is:

• To love God and Neighbour
• To live a holy moral life in virtue and humility
• To avoid the near occasions of sin
• To preach the Gospel to all the nations
• And to have the desire to be a SAINT so that we can all go to Heaven

And even if some Catholics have fallen away from the Church, or no longer practice the faith and have either converted to another religion or have become atheist, The Holy Spirit’s permanent mark will never leave a baptized person’s soul!  Christ is still calling and welcoming the person back to Himself.  All we can do is pray for that person.

And so, on this feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are reminded to live out the responsibilities of our own baptismal promises. At every Baptism, the priest or deacon asks the parents and godparents: “If your faith makes you ready to accept this responsibility, renew now the vows of your own baptism. Reject sin; and profess your faith in Christ Jesus; this is the faith of the Church, and this is the faith in which we have all been called to.”  

Baptism reminds us of who we are and of WHOSE we are.  We are sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Christ, members of His Church, Heirs of Heaven, and Temples of the Holy Spirit.  Let us never forget that.  

References:

Pope Benedict, “Jesus of Nazareth pgs. 15-16”
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/baptism-of-desire
https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/05/a-doctrine-in-limbo
Summa, III, q. 68, a. 10.
Canon 868.