Why Baptism?

Merry Christmas! Today, on the last day of the Christmas season, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, commemorating the occasion of St. John the Baptist baptizing our Lord in the Jordan River.

A simple answer to why we baptize is because Jesus himself was baptized and then commanded his disciples to baptize all. Before his ministry began, even though He need not be baptized as Mat-thew in our Gospel today pointed out, Jesus underwent the ritual nevertheless to show His solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. Then, by commanding His disciples to “baptize all nations” (Mt. 28:19), He established the means by which people would die to sin – Original and actual – and begin to live a new life with God.

Baptism serves as the first sacrament one receives when entering the Catholic Faith. It is a sacrament of initiation (which you can only receive one time), meaning once you receive it, you officially enter into the body of Christ, the Church. It unlocks for you the ability to receive eternal life. Jesus states in John 3:5, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” Jesus himself says we cannot enter Heaven with-out first having received baptism, which is why the Church earnestly implores parents to baptize their children as soon as practical, not wait until they are a toddler or waiting even later. The Church wants everyone to be able to get to Heaven, but it is powerless to do anything for someone if they die and were not baptized.

Baptism, however, is never administered without faith, for it is the faith of the parents and of the Church who guide the infant in baptism. Even more so, given what we know of baptism being an essential part of gaining salvation, parents choose to baptize their child for the sake of their soul, not to impose any religious beliefs upon them. Last week, I spent some time in -30 degree weather in northern Alaska to attend the baptism of a child of a friend of mine who was born last month. Additionally, I am blessed with being the godfather of two children. I say this to point out that it is important to not just “check the box” of getting the child baptized, but to have it as a time for the whole family and even community to join our prayers and truly support the child, from conception to death, in giving them their best chance at entering the Kingdom of Heaven. The sacrament is vitally important to their life with and in Christ, but important too is enlisting faithful Catholic Christians around the family to pray unceasingly for this child and help them, in union with their parents, grow in holiness and virtue. Be the one to help get everyone to Heaven.