Quotes About Baptism

If his contrition is not perfect, the unworthily received Sacrament of Baptism can re cover its effects only in connection with Penance, which blots out mortal sin ex opere operato, and removes the obstacle that prevented the infusion of grace.

St. Au gustine draws a distinction between habere and utiliter habere 6 and asks: " What does it avail a man to be baptized if he is not justified?

Baptism is a Sacra ment instituted by Christ, in which, by the out ward washing of the body with water, with in vocation of the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity, man is spiritually reborn and sanctified unto life everlasting.

According to Catholic teaching the remote matter of Baptism is natural water; its proximate matter is the act of external washing; while the sacramental form is con tained in the words: " I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

There is, first, the actual intention, operating with the full advertence of the intellect. When a minister wishes here and now to confer, e. g., the Sacrament of Baptism, he has an actual intention. Secondly, there is the virtual intention. Its force is borrowed from a previous volition, which is accounted as continuing in some result produced by it. Thus, if a

The form of Baptism consists in the words accompanying the ablution. There are two essential parts: (i) the verbal designa tion of the baptismal act, and (2) the express in vocation of the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity.

Alterations in the formula of Baptism may or may not affect its substance. Substantial changes render the Sacrament invalid ; purely accidental changes do not. It would be a substantial change, for instance, to omit all reference to the act performed, or to neglect to invoke the Three Persons of the Trinity.

Alexander III decided that it would render Bap tism invalid to omit the words : " I baptize thee," and simply to say : " In the name of the Father," etc. 53 As all Three Divine Persons must be expressly mentioned, it would likewise be invalid to baptize " in the name of the Most Holy Trinity.

Baptism has for its general effect the regeneration of the soul, 1 and hence belongs to the " Sacraments of the dead." Its specific effects are three, viz.: (i) the grace of jus tification (iustificatio prima) ; (2) forgiveness of all the penalties of sin; and (3) the sacramental character.

The effect of this Sacrament [Baptism] is the remission of every sin, original and ac tual.

Though Baptism completely blots out the guilt of original sin (reatus culpae), there still remains concu piscence (fomes peccati, concupiscentia), which, however, no longer partakes of the nature of guilt, but is merely a consequence of original sin. 4 This teaching was em phasized by St. Augustine.

Bap tism also effects the supernatural concomitants of sanc tifying grace, viz.: the three divine virtues of faith, hope, and charity, the infused moral virtues, and the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost, including His personal indwell-

St. Thomas 29 recommends Christian rulers, " for the honor of the Sacrament," to remit capital punishment to convicted pagans who ask for Baptism, and the Roman Catechism repeats the recommendation.

Augustine observes: " The womb does not repeat its births," 34 and with the latter analogy in mind St. Chrysostom says: " As there is no second crucifixion for Christ, so there can be no such a thing as rebaptism." 35

the baptismal character, as a signum configurativum, incorporates the recipient into Christ's own family, bestows upon him the Saviour's coat-of-arms, and thus renders him a Christian, i. e. one who is like unto Christ. Cfr. Gal. Ill, 27: "As many of you as have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ." 41

under certain conditions, the place of Baptism by water (baptismus fiuminis) may be supplied by Baptism of desire (baptismus flaminis) or by Baptism of blood (baptismus sanguinis).

If the desire for Baptism is accompanied by perfect con trition, we have the so-called baptismus ftaminis, which forthwith justifies the sinner, provided, of course, that the desire is a true votum sacramenti, i. e. y that it implies a firm resolve to receive the Sacrament as soon as opportunity offers.

Since, however, God has ordained Baptism as a necessary means of salva tion, 26 perfect contrition, in order to obtain forgiveness of sins, must include the desire of the Sacrament.

St. Augustine repeatedly speaks of the power inherent in the desire for Baptism. " I do not hesitate," he says in his treatise De Baptismo against the Donatists, " to place the Catholic catechumen, who is burning with the love of God, before the baptized heretic. . . . The centurion Cornelius, before Baptism, was better than Simon [Magus], who had been baptized. For Cornelius, even before Baptism, was filled with the Holy Ghost, while Simon, after Baptism, was puffed up with an unclean spirit.

more common opinion holds that the votum implicitum is all that is required. This " implicit desire " may be defined as " a state of mind in which a man would ardently long for Baptism if he knew that it is necessary for salva tion.

In case of necessity, not only a priest or a deacon, but a lay man or woman, nay even a pagan and a heretic, can [validly] baptize, provided only that he observes the form prescribed by the Church and has the intention of doing what the Church does.

the Council of Florence forbade the postponement of Baptism even for forty or eighty days. Since the Tridentine Council it is a strict ecclesiastical precept that infants must be baptized as soon as possible after birth.

To allow a baptized child, when he attains the use of reason, to choose freely between the true and a false re ligion, to decide whether he will keep the holy law of God or repudiate it at pleasure, betrays rank indifferent-ism.

In all religions, the quickening spirit has been symbolically represented as a bird. At the baptism, when Jesus' body was in the water, the Spirit of Christ descended into it as a dove.