Baptism
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life~ Romans 5:3-4 ~
Catechism of the Catholic Church
977, 1213,1275, 1278
Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification. Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist constitute the ‘sacraments of initiation’ by which a believer receives the remission of original and personal sin, begins a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit, and is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ. The rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water, or pouring water on the head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Often called “The door of the Church”, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments not only in time (since most receive it as infants) but also in priority, since the reception of the other sacraments depends on it – it is the gateway to life in the Spirit and a life full of grace.
Christ himself ordered his disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations and to baptise those who accept the message of the Gospel. In his encounter with Nicodemus (John 3:1 -21), Christ made it clear that baptism was necessary for salvation:
Amen, Amen I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
For Catholics, this sacrament is not a mere formality; it is the very mark of a Christian because it brings us into a new life in Christ. Through baptism, we are freed from all sin and born of water and the Spirit as children of God; we become heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the first years of the Church’s life, most of those who were baptised were adults, but when the Gospel began to be accepted by great numbers of people, even infants and children were baptised. Infant baptism, which is an immemorial tradition of the Church, shows forth the absolutely free and unmerited grace of God leading to salvation, but the danger also exists that Christians will forget that baptism is a sacrament of faith.
On the day of a child’s baptism, parents publicly accept the responsibility of raising their child in the practice of the faith. Children learn by watching what their parents say and do, it’s therefore important that parents practise their faith and have a good understanding of the responsibilities involved.
Baptisms at Our Lady of Compassion
If you would like to celebrate the sacrament of your child’s baptism with us, you will need to attend one of our baptismal preparation programmes. It is important that both parents attend each session.
You will also need to have been a practising Catholic at our Parish for at least two months; attending Sunday Mass each week where we are fed by God’s living word and by His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. If you have drifted away from the practice of your faith, then this is a great time for you to rebuild your relationship with Christ and His Church – we will give you all the help and support we can to help you with this.
Our Baptism booklet, application and Godparent forms can be downloaded via the button above (top of page). Once completed, please return them to our Parish Office. For more information, or should you have any questions, please contact us.
May the Lord bless you and give you peace!