SACRAMENTS - baptism (QUIZ)

what 4 dimensions does every sacrament have?

• memorial

  • a remembering that God is present now and has always acted for the benefit of all in the past

• celebration

  • a Church-approved ritual involving objects, words, and actions that gives worship and thanks to God for salvation in Jesus

• communion

  • a real encounter of union with Christ, with members of the Church and with people throughout the world

• transformation

  • an empowerment to become more holy and to minister to others through the gift of God’s grace

describe baptism

• the sacrament which is the birth of the baptized into new life in Christ

• in Baptism, Original Sin is forgiven along with all personal sins

• by it we become adoptive children of the Father, members of Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit

• it also incorporates us into the Church and makes us sharers in the priesthood of Christ

• “door” / “gateway” that gives access to other sacraments

define baptism of blood

the belief that martyrs who had not yet been baptized by water may receive forgiveness for their sins and experience God’s saving mercy

define baptism of desire

the belief that catechumens who died before receiving the Sacrament of Baptism may receive forgiveness for their sins and experience God’s saving mercy

describe the Baptism of Jesus

• John the Baptist preached repentance of sin and urged people to prepare for the long awaited Messiah

• all 4 Gospels have Jesus’ Baptism

• His Baptism is a revelation of His true character— the Messiah and “beloved son” of God

• Baptism + the Paschal Mystery

• Born without sin, Christ did not need recourse to Baptism as we do, but He submitted to it to show us the value of “self-emptying”

connect Jesus’ Baptism to our Baptism …

• we become beloved sons and daughters

• at Baptism, we receive the same blessing as we “come up” out of the waters as new creations:

  • “you are my BELOVED ONE, on whom my favor rests!”

  • and that empowers us to become a part of Jesus’ Mission

After Jesus died, ________ replaced His personal call to discipleship

Baptism

• it is more than repentance, but a life changing and holy transformation

describe the meaning of PRIEST, PROPHET, and KING

PRIEST

• all the baptized share in the priesthood of Christ

• you participate in Christ’s priestly mission when you provide spiritual support, such as through your prayers, to another person

PROPHET

• a prophet witnesses to the Catholic faith and proclaims God’s truth

• being a prophet sometimes means you have to go against the tide of public opinion

KING

• Jesus fulfilled his kingly mission by dying for the sins of all

• you can participate in Christ’s kingly mission when you put the needs of others before your own needs

what does the word ‘Baptism’ mean?

from the Greek word meaning “to plunge or immerse”

describe the history of Baptism

• Jesus was baptized by St. John the Baptist with a baptism of repentance, but it was Jesus who instituted the Sacrament of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

• in the earliest Church, adult converts were baptized immediately; however, in time, a period of instruction called the catechumenate was developed

  • the catechumens would be baptized at the Easter vigil or on the Saturday before Pentecost

• the Catechumenate died out in about the 5th century, as Europe in the Middle Ages was primarily Christian, and most were baptized as infants

describe infant baptism

• more common in the 4th and 5th centuries

  • Christianity was legalized and then made the official religion of the Roman Empire

  • second in the 4th and 5th centuries

    • the doctrine of Original Sin

    • writings of St. Augustine and other theologians

    • a new emphasis was placed on early reception of the Sacrament of Baptism which takes away Original Sin and all previous personal sins

    • parents and godparents had an essential role in continuing the development of the faith of the child

list the matter, form, celebrant, and how often Baptism is celebrated

MATTER

• water; triple pouring of or immersion in water

FORM

• (trinitarian formula), “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

CELEBRANT

• bishop, priest, or deacon; anyone

HOW OFTEN

• once

list the steps of rite of baptism and their respective significances

• SIGN OF THE CROSS

  • reminder that catechumen belongs the christ

• THE WORD OF GOD

  • scripture reminds us that we belong to god

• EXORCISMS AND PROFESSION OF FAITH

  • priest asks that each candidate be protected against satan and sin, each candidate is anointed with oil of catechumens

• BLESSING OF THE WATER

  • celebrant calls for the holy spirit to become present in the water

• ESSENTIAL RITE OF BAPTISM

  • celebrant immerses each candidate in the water three times or pours water over the head saying “i baptize you in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit”

• ANOINTING WITH SACRED CHRISM

  • anointing of each newly baptized on the crown of the head with chrism oil, symbolizes the coming of the holy spirit

• RECEIVING OR CLOTHING IN WHITE GARMENT

  • signifies their new dignity

• RECEIVING A LIT CANDLE

  • candle symbolizes the light of christ and the neophyte’s responsibility to bring the light of christ to the world

what is the oil of catechumens?

olive oil that is blessed by a bishop at the chrism mass on or around holy thursday and used to anoint those preparing for baptism

what is sacred chrism?

perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop and used for anointing in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and holy orders

who can baptize?

• the ordinary ministers of baptism are the bishop, priest, and deacon

• extraordinary minister = anyone; in the case of emergency, any person, even one not baptized, can baptize another

• the church allows this because of the importance of baptism for salvation

describe the four stages of initiation in early church

1. PRECATECHUMENATE: inquirers underwent evangelization and initial conversion learning about the good news

2. CATECHUMENATE: catechumens participated in a two- to three-year period of study about jesus and the christian faith

3. PURIFICATION, ENLIGHTENMENT, ILLUMINATION: the “elect” intensified their preparation for the sacraments of initiation which were received at the easter vigil

4. MYSTAGOGIA: a greek term meaning “leading into the mystery.” this period lasted at least the entire easter season. the newly baptized, neophytes, immersed themselves in the church taking an active part

what is the modern rite of christian initiation of adults?

the process by which an unbaptized adult or an adult baptized in another ecclesial community prepares for full initiation into the catholic church

describe the four stages of RCIa

1. Period of Inquiry/Precatechumenate : The interested person learns about the Catholic faith and the call to discipleship. This is a period of evangelization. The first step of this stage is acceptance into the catechumenate. 

2. Period of Catechumenate: A time of formation and instruction in the Catholic faith that includes catechesis, spiritual development, participation in the liturgy, and engaging in apostolic witness This period concludes with enrollment of names occurs on first Sunday of Lent. Catechumens sign their names in the Book of the Elect. This is the Rite of Election.

3. Period of Purification: The elect participate in three scrutinies. They also participate in two optional presentations—the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. This period ends with the celebration of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The catechumens receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

4. Period of Mystagogia: This is a period of postbaptismal catechesis. Newly initiated Catholics are called neophytes. Neophytes continue to “deepen their grasp of the Paschal Mystery.”  This period lasts from Easter Vigil until Pentecost or sometimes Advent

compare adult vs. infant baptism

• ADULT

  • Inquiry-Seeking a spiritual guide

  • Period of the Catechumenate-Typically a one year process but can extend

    • Sponsor

    • Rite of Dismissal

  • Period of Purification & Enlightenment

    • Reception of The Sacrament

  • Mystagogia

• CHILDREN

  • Parents notify the parish

  • Parents attend Baptismal classes

  • Meet with priest

  • Sacrament

  • Parents instill the faith-bring them to church and teach the faith

describe the differences between rite of christian initiation of adults vs. rite of baptism of children

• Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults  (RCIA) - A process for adults culminating in the celebration of all three sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.
  

• Rite of Baptism of Children - People did not want their children to wait until adulthood to be re-born in Christ’s life…infant baptism became prevalent.

what are the requirements for the baptized? (precepts)

ATTEND

• attend mass on sundays & holy days of obligation and rest

CONFESS

• confess your sins at least once annually

RECEIVE

• receive eucharist once during the easter season

OBSERVE

• observe days of fasting & abstinence

PROVIDE

• provide for the needs of the church