For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God.
Baptism is Christ's initial expression of merciful love in the life of a Christian. The sacrament is celebrated by the Church according to the wish of Christ, Who said to the Apostles: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The sensible sign of the sacrament is constituted by both the water and the words and actions of the minister of the sacrament. (The minister of the sacrament is usually a priest or deacon. However, in case of emergency, any person can and should baptize.) Either water is poured over the forehead of the person to be baptized, or he or she is immersed bodily in water, as the minister of the sacrament says over him, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Usually, a person is baptized as an infant "within the first weeks after birth."
St. Paul writes: "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized 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." Christ acts in Baptism just as He acted on the cross: He cleanses us from sin (both original sin and personal sin, if any), and He restores the friendship between us and God.
By loving us and God in Baptism, Christ reveals the proper activity of those who are baptized. We are to love God and to love others, just as Christ loves God and others, i.e., we are to be priests in imitation of Christ. As Christ forgives original sin and heals some of the wounds caused by it, so we should forgive any faults or weaknesses we see in others that originate in the sin of Adam and Eve. In a sense, this attitude of forgiveness is a prerequisite for any act of love towards others. It is the first step towards loving as God loves. Thus, the grace given in Baptism might be compared with the gift of human life at conception.
The sign of Baptism is one of cleansing. Thus, the grace given in the sacrament of Baptism cleanses our souls from sin. With our souls cleansed from original sin and any personal sins, the spiritual space between us and God is filled with love and not evil. Thus, we are able to love God and others.
