What Is Baptism?

“What happens in Baptism? What do we hope for from Baptism? You have given a response on the threshold of this Chapel: We hope for eternal life for our children. This is the purpose of Baptism. But how can it be obtained? How can Baptism offer eternal life? What is eternal life?

In simpler words, we might say: we hope for a good life, the true life, for these children of ours; and also for happiness in a future that is still unknown. We are unable to guarantee this gift for the entire span of the unknown future, so we turn to the Lord to obtain this gift from him.

We can give two replies to the question, "How will this happen?". This is the first one: through Baptism each child is inserted into a gathering of friends who never abandon him in life or in death because these companions are God's family, which in itself bears the promise of eternity.

This group of friends, this family of God, into which the child is now admitted, will always accompany him, even on days of suffering and in life's dark nights; it will give him consolation, comfort and light.

This companionship, this family, will give him words of eternal life, words of light in response to the great challenges of life, and will point out to him the right path to take. This group will also offer the child consolation and comfort, and God's love when death is at hand, in the dark valley of death. It will give him friendship, it will give him life. And these totally trustworthy companions will never disappear.

No one of us knows what will happen on our planet, on our European Continent, in the next 50, 60 or 70 years. But we can be sure of one thing: God's family will always be present and those who belong to this family will never be alone. They will always be able to fall back on the steadfast friendship of the One who is life.

And, thus, we have arrived at the second answer. This family of God, this gathering of friends is eternal, because it is communion with the One who conquered death and holds in his hand the keys of life. Belonging to this circle, to God's family, means being in communion with Christ, who is life and gives eternal love beyond death.

And if we can say that love and truth are sources of life, are life itself -- and a life without love is not life -- we can say that this companionship with the One who is truly life, with the One who is the Sacrament of life, will respond to your expectation, to your hope....”

--Pope Benedict XVI
Homily on the Baptism of the Lord
Sistine Chapel
8 Janaury 2006

When we look at what Baptism is theologically, volumes could be written on its importance. There mere fact that Jesus, Himself, chose to undergo a Baptism shows how important it is for our Salvific journey. The link between Baptism and Salvation is quickly evident upon theological exploration.

Communion

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But Pope Benedict here touches on another aspect, one that we ignore many times when we think about what a new Baptism encompasses. It is an aspect of our faith life that so many people in today's institutional, or cultural Church, rely: the community. But the community here, that Pope Benedict speaks of, is something beyond factions, social groups, and collections of like-minded individuals. The community of which he speaks is one that spans centuries and is in communion with Christ through Baptism, Eucharist and the Church Triumphant. It is the chain of holy individuals that, "...will always be present and those who belong to this family will never be alone."

So often we ask question: "Where have the children gone? They were Baptized, but have no gone astray." They are not gone. They are there, unfortunately though, people have allowed these children to wander outside of the circle of the community. You could argue that it is the community itself that let them wander. These children are like sheep on the outskirts of the pasture, playing near the cliffs. They can be seen, they are just not with the flock. Is this because the pasture is barren? Is it because the draw of the cliffs is so much more appealing? Is it because the wolves lure them with lies and deceit?

Where is the community? Where are the guardians, those entrusted to keep the flock not only together but in the pasture? They themselves are playing on the rocks at the cliffs. They are frolicking with the wolves. If we Baptize our children, but then let them run astray, we can not in good conscience blame anyone but ourselves. We must view Baptism not as a social or cultural event, but a Sacramental event; not merely as a sign of Grace, but it is as St. Thomas Aquinas says, "The sign of a sacred thing in so far as it sanctifies men - Signum rei sacrae in quantum est sanctificans homines (III.60.2).

Effects of Baptism

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It doesn't just show something, it does something. Therefore, when a child is Baptized something happens to their soul. It is therefore incumbent, upon us, to ensure that they are formed and directed in the right direction of life, so as to enable that thing which is happening in their soul can fully shape and mold it appropriately. This is true not because men are necessary to help impart grace or salvific function on that child, but it is necessary that men not get in the way of this properly occurring.

Again, as Aquinas says:

Hence it is clear that by Baptism man dies unto the oldness of sin, and begins to live unto the newness of grace. But every sin belongs to the primitive oldness. Consequently every sin is taken away by Baptism. -III.69.1

h/t: Whispers in the Loggia

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