Tuesday 12th November 2024

Home » Our Catholic Faith » Currently Reading:

The Mystagogy Of The Celebration Of Baptism

August 27, 2016 Our Catholic Faith No Comments

By DON FIER

The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River marked a turning-point in His life. Having lived in a hidden manner in obedience to Mary and Joseph for thirty years (see Luke 2:51), our Lord now began His public ministry by freely submitting to the penitential baptism of St. John the Baptist. Although unblemished by sin and in no need of repentance, He did so in order to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).
Just as the incarnate Son of God submitted to circumcision, entering into the covenant established by God with Abraham and all his descendants (see Luke 2:21), and just as He was consecrated to God in the Temple in accordance with Mosaic Law (see Luke 2:23), He insisted that John baptize Him as an example for us. Despite John’s hesitancy, Jesus prevailed upon him so as to affirm His humanity and associate Himself with the condition of mankind.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), as summarized by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ, lists several lessons that Christ taught us by submitting to baptism: the primacy of the sacrament, since Jesus began His public ministry by being baptized and ended it by commissioning His disciples to baptize others; the necessity of “self-emptying” for each of us in imitation of Christ, who submitted Himself to baptism as if He were a sinner; and that we have been redeemed by the cross of Christ since the efficacy of Baptism comes from His death on the cross.
Ever since the day of Pentecost, the Sacrament of Baptism has been the Church’s door through which we are purified, justified, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit (cf. The Faith, pp. 111-112).
The Catechism now embarks on an exposition of how the Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated, beginning with a brief five-paragraph summary that encapsulates what takes place during the process of Christian initiation and how it has changed and evolved over the course of the Church’s history.
“This journey,” says the Catechism, “can be covered rapidly or slowly, but certain initial essential elements will always have to be present: proclamation of the Word, acceptance of the Gospel entailing conversion, profession of faith, Baptism itself, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and admission to Eucharistic communion” (CCC, n. 1229).
As recently discussed in this series (see volume 148, n. 42; October 22, 2015), there are significant differences between Latin and Eastern pastoral practices for the celebration of the rites of Christian initiation for infants (i.e., all three sacraments — Baptism, Confirmation, and the Holy Eucharist — are received by infants in the Eastern Church). Since Vatican II’s restoration of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), however, Christian initiation of adults in both traditions “begins with their entry into the catechumenate and reaches its culmination in the single celebration of the three sacraments of initiation” (CCC, n. 1233). Of course, “by its very nature infant Baptism requires a post-baptismal catechumenate” (CCC, n. 1231).
The mystagogy of the baptismal celebration is now examined, in which the meaning of the external signs, gestures, and words of the Church’s baptismal rite are explained. To begin this discussion, it would be good to first look at the etymology of the word “mystagogy.” It is connected to the Greek term mysterion, which “was translated into Latin by two terms: mysterium and sacramentum” (CCC, n. 774). (Note: See volume 147, N. 29; July 17, 2014 for a fuller explanation.)
More precisely, mystagogy can be defined as “a liturgical catechesis which aims to initiate people into the mystery of Christ. In a more specific sense, [it is] the catechetical period following immediately after the reception of Baptism by adults” (CCC, Glossary). Expressed in different terms, mystagogical catechesis proceeds from the “visible to the invisible, from the sign to the thing signified, from the ‘sacraments’ to the ‘mysteries’ ” (CCC, n. 1075).
As stated so simply, but accurately by Christoph Cardinal Schönborn in Living the Catechism of the Catholic Church — The Sacraments (LC-S): “The rite of baptism speaks for itself. The individual words and gestures are so expressive that they do not really need to be explained at great length” (p. 62).
As is the case for each of the seven sacraments, the general principle that the sacramental rite signifies what it effects is applicable: The inward effect that mysteriously takes place on the person’s soul is displayed by the outward signs. This is especially evident when the rite is celebrated clearly, reverently, and without haste.
Whenever possible, the rite of Baptism should begin “at the church door with giving of the name and the request for baptism, for grace, and for eternal life” (LC-S, p. 62).
The importance of a name was emphasized by Pope St. John Paul II in a homily he gave at Westminster Cathedral in London on May 28, 1982:
“In Baptism we are given a name — we call it our Christian name. In the tradition of the Church it is a saint’s name, a name of one of the heroes among Christ’s followers — an apostle, a martyr, a religious founder, like St. Benedict, whose monks founded Westminster Abbey nearby, where your sovereigns are crowned. Taking such names reminds us again that we are being drawn into the Communion of Saints, and at the same time that great models of Christian living are set before us.”
Indeed, the giving of a saint’s name is expressive of the hope that the person being baptized would imitate the saint’s virtue.
In the case of infant Baptism, what does it mean when parents respond “Baptism” in answer to the question: “What do you ask of God’s Church?” It is not light matter, for they are assuming responsibility for a most solemn obligation: to raise and train their child in the practice of the Catholic faith. As such, their promise should be given not only freely and voluntarily, but with full understanding. Practically speaking, this implies that they themselves must be seriously practicing the faith in their day-to-day lives.
The gravity which the Church places on the Catholic parents’ understanding of this duty is evident in the 1983 Code of Canon Law: “For an infant to be baptized licitly…there must be a founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion; if such hope is altogether lacking, the baptism is to be delayed according to the prescripts of particular law after the parents have been advised about the reason” (canon 868 § 1, 2°).
As such, pastors of parishes have the responsibility of explaining to parents that asking for the Baptism of their child involves the grave responsibility of a Christian upbringing, for if the parents are not practicing their faith, it is most likely the child will imitate their behavior as they physically mature. Likewise, godparents are asked for their assent that they will assist the parents in the child’s Christian upbringing.
The Sign of the Cross, which “marks with the imprint of Christ the one who is going to belong to him and signifies the grace of the redemption Christ won for us by his cross” (CCC, n. 1235) is traced onto the forehead of the person being baptized, first by the celebrant and then the parents and godparents. As soon as possible, the baptized child should be taught to frequently repeat this most efficacious gesture, to “begin his day, his prayers, and his activities with the Sign of the Cross . . . [which] strengthens us in temptations and difficulties” (CCC, n. 2157).
The next step in the Church’s baptismal rite is the proclamation of the Word, which “enlightens the candidates and the assembly with the revealed truth and elicits the response of faith, which is inseparable from Baptism” (CCC, n. 1236). Baptism is known as the “sacrament of faith,” the theological virtue enabling one to willingly accept with his mind and heart whatever has been revealed by Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. “Thus prepared, he is able to confess the faith of the Church, to which he will be ‘entrusted’ by Baptism” (CCC, n. 1237).
The proclamation of the Word is followed by the celebrant’s homily. Ideally, his words will not only illuminate the message contained in the readings, but offer encouragement to the parents and godparents that will inspire them to faithfully fulfill the responsibilities that arise from the sacrament soon to be conferred. After prayers of petition are offered, the Litany of the Saints is recited — the intercessory help of those holy men and women who are members of the Church Triumphant is invoked for the one to be baptized.
Next, “in a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism” (CCC, n. 1673). This is most fitting “since Baptism signifies liberation from sin and from its instigator the devil” (CCC, n. 1237). The candidate, who has come into this world with original sin on his soul, is also anointed with the oil of catechumens (which has been blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday). The celebrant explicitly renounces and casts out Satan, thus preparing the candidate to receive Christ’s light.
Following the blessing of baptismal water, the essential rite of the sacrament commences — the point at which we will pick up next week.

+ + +

(Don Fier serves on the board of directors for The Catholic Servant, a Minneapolis-based monthly publication. He and his wife are the parents of seven children. Fier is a 2009 graduate of Ave Maria University’s Institute for Pastoral Theology. He is doing research for writing a definitive biography of Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)

Share Button

2019 The Wanderer Printing Co.

Vatican and USCCB leave transgender policy texts unpublished

While U.S. bishops have made headlines for releasing policies addressing gender identity and pastoral ministry, guidelines on the subject have been drafted but not published by both the U.S. bishops’ conference and the Vatican’s doctrinal office, leaving diocesan bishops to…Continue Reading

Biden says Pope Francis told him to continue receiving communion, amid scrutiny over pro-abortion policies

President Biden said that Pope Francis, during their meeting Friday in Vatican City, told him that he should continue to receive communion, amid heightened scrutiny of the Catholic president’s pro-abortion policies.  The president, following the approximately 90-minute-long meeting, a key…Continue Reading

Federal judge rules in favor of Gov. DeSantis’ mask mandate ban

MIAMI (LifeSiteNews) – A federal judge this week handed Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis another legal victory on his mask mandate ban for schools. On Wednesday, Judge K. Michael Moore of the Southern District of Florida denied a petition from…Continue Reading

The Eucharist should not be received unworthily, says Nigerian cardinal

Priests have a duty to remind Catholics not to receive the Eucharist in a state of serious sin and to make confession easily available, a Nigerian cardinal said at the International Eucharistic Congress on Thursday. “It is still the doctrine…Continue Reading

Donald Trump takes a swipe at Catholics and Jews who did not vote for him

Donald Trump complained about Catholics and Jews who did not vote for him in 2020. The former president made the comments in a conference call featuring religious leaders. The move could be seen to shore up his religious conservative base…Continue Reading

Y Gov. Kathy Hochul Admits Andrew Cuomo Covered Up COVID Deaths, 12,000 More Died Than Reported

When it comes to protecting people from COVID, Andrew Cuomo is already the worst governor in America. New York has the second highest death rate per capita, in part because he signed an executive order putting COVID patients in nursing…Continue Reading

Prayers For Cardinal Burke . . . U.S. Cardinal Burke says he has tested positive for COVID-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke said he has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. In an Aug. 10 tweet, he wrote: “Praised be Jesus Christ! I wish to inform you that I have recently…Continue Reading

Democrats Block Amendment Banning Late-Term Abortions, Stopping Abortions Up to Birth

Senate Democrats have blocked an amendment that would ban abortions on babies older than 20 weeks. During consideration of the multi-trillion spending package, pro-life Louisiana Senator John Kennedy filed an amendment to ban late-term abortions, but Democrats steadfastly support killing…Continue Reading

Transgender student wins as U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs bathroom appeal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to a transgender former public high school student who waged a six-year legal battle against a Virginia county school board that had barred him from using the bathroom corresponding…Continue Reading

New York priest accused by security guard of assault confirms charges have now been dropped

NEW YORK, June 17, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — A New York priest has made his first public statement regarding the dismissal of charges against him.  Today Father George W. Rutler reached out to LifeSiteNews and other media today with the following…Continue Reading

21,000 sign petition protesting US Catholic bishops vote on Biden, abortion

More than 21,000 people have signed a letter calling for U.S. Catholic bishops to cancel a planned vote on whether President Biden should receive communion.  Biden, a Catholic, supports abortion rights and has long come under attack from some Catholics over that…Continue Reading

Bishop Gorman seeks candidates to fill two full time AP level teaching positions for the 2021-2022 school year in the subject areas of Calculus/Statistics and Physics

Bishop Thomas K. Gorman Regional Catholic School is a college preparatory school located in Tyler, Texas. It is an educational ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Tyler led by Bishop Joseph Strickland. The sixth through twelfth grade school provides a…Continue Reading

Untitled 5 Untitled 2

Attention Readers:

  Welcome to our website. Readers who are familiar with The Wanderer know we have been providing Catholic news and orthodox commentary for 150 years in our weekly print edition.


  Our daily version offers only some of what we publish weekly in print. To take advantage of everything The Wanderer publishes, we encourage you to su
bscribe to our flagship weekly print edition, which is mailed every Friday or, if you want to view it in its entirety online, you can subscribe to the E-edition, which is a replica of the print edition.
 
  Our daily edition includes: a selection of material from recent issues of our print edition, news stories updated daily from renowned news sources, access to archives from The Wanderer from the past 10 years, available at a minimum charge (this will be expanded as time goes on). Also: regularly updated features where we go back in time and highlight various columns and news items covered in The Wanderer over the past 150 years. And: a comments section in which your remarks are encouraged, both good and bad, including suggestions.
 
  We encourage you to become a daily visitor to our site. If you appreciate our site, tell your friends. As Catholics we must band together to rediscover our faith and share it with the world if we are to effectively counter a society whose moral culture seems to have no boundaries and a government whose rapidly extending reach threatens to extinguish the rights of people of faith to practice their religion (witness the HHS mandate). Now more than ever, vehicles like The Wanderer are needed for clarification and guidance on the issues of the day.

Catholic, conservative, orthodox, and loyal to the Magisterium have been this journal’s hallmarks for five generations. God willing, our message will continue well into this century and beyond.

Joseph Matt
President, The Wanderer Printing Co.

Untitled 1

Catechism

Today . . .

Donald Trump elected president in decisive win over Kamala Harris

(LifeSiteNews) — Republican former President Donald Trump has won this year’s election to become the 47th president of the United States, defeating Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Fox News called the 2024 presidential race for Trump around 1:50 a.m. EST on Wednesday after declaring him the winner of swing states Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Associated Press has since called the election for Trump.

This week at the Synod on Synodality — revolution or much ado about nothing?

Perhaps it is in the very nature of the Synod on Synodality to take steps back after having taken several steps forward. But the tone of the opening days of the synod’s final general assembly makes it apparent that, for the moment, there is no talk of revolution within the Church.  That tone was set days before the gathering got underway this week at the Vatican, when in his speech in Belgium on Sept. 27, Pope Francis…Continue Reading

Wyoming doctor fired by GOP governor for opposing child ‘sex changes’ asks to be reinstated

(The Daily Signal) — Wyoming’s governor removed a doctor from the state’s board of medicine because the doctor supported a law banning “gender-affirming care” for minors. The doctor is suing, and his lawyers are filing a motion Tuesday asking the court to reinstate him on the medical board. His legal team also revealed that more than 5,000 Wyoming residents have signed a petition asking the governor to reinstate him

Pro-life leaders express disgust with ‘fully booked’ mobile Planned Parenthood unit at DNC

(LifeSiteNews) — Planned Parenthood was “fully booked” with 25 appointments to dispense abortion pills at a mobile center on Monday and Tuesday during the Democratic National Convention (DNC). “Twenty-five innocent human beings whose lives are being ended at the DNC. And this is done as a political statement,” pro-life activist Lila Rose remarked Tuesday on her podcast.

Pope Francis acknowledges conference for ‘LGBT Catholics’

Pope Francis this week said he is “united in prayer” with those participating in a conference for Catholics who identify as LGBT taking place this weekend in Washington, D.C. Father James Martin, a controversial Jesuit priest who founded the pro-LGBT group Outreach in 2022, reportedly asked Pope Francis if he would like to send a greeting to the group’s 2024 gathering, taking place Aug. 2–4 at Georgetown University. Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington is scheduled to celebrate Mass on Saturday at…Continue Reading

The King of Kings

Cindy Paslawski We are at the end of the Church year. We began with Advent a year ago, commemorating the time awaiting the coming of the Christ and we are ending these weeks later with a vision of the future, a vision of Christ the King of the Universe on His throne before us all.…Continue Reading

7,000 Pro-Lifers March In London

By STEVEN ERTELT LONDON (LifeNews) — Over the weekend, some seven thousand pro-life people in the UK participated in the March for Life in London to protest abortion.They marched to Parliament Square on Saturday, September 2 under the banner of “Freedom to Live” and had to deal with a handful of radical abortion activists.During the…Continue Reading

An Appeal For Prayer For The Armenian People

By RAYMOND LEO CARDINAL BURKE (Editor’s Note: His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke on August 29, 2023, issued this prayer for the Armenian people, noting their unceasing love for Christ, even in the face of persecution.) + + On the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, having a few days ago celebrated the…Continue Reading

Robert Hickson, Founding Member Of Christendom College, Dies At 80

By MAIKE HICKSON FRONT ROYAL, Va. (LifeSiteNews) — Robert David Hickson, Jr., of Front Royal, Va., died at his home on September 2, 2023, at 21:29 p.m. after several months of suffering and after having received the Last Rites of the Catholic Church. He was surrounded by friends and family.Robert is survived by me —…Continue Reading

The Real Hero Of “Sound of Freedom”… Says The Film Has Strengthened The Fight Against Child Trafficking

By ANA PAULA MORALES (CNA) —Tim Ballard, a former U.S. Homeland Security agent who risked his life to fight child trafficking, discussed the impact of the movie Sound of Freedom, which is based on his work, in an August 29 interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. “I’ve spent more than 20 years helping…Continue Reading

Advertisement

Our Catholic Faith (Section B of print edition)

Catholic Replies

Editor’s Note: This lesson on medical-moral issues is taken from the book Catholicism & Ethics. Please feel free to use the series for high schoolers or adults. We will continue to welcome your questions for the column as well. The email and postal addresses are given at the end of this column. Special Course On Catholicism And Ethics (Pages 53-59)…Continue Reading

Color Politics An Impediment To Faith

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK The USCCB is rightly concerned about racism, as they should be about any sin. In the 2018 statement Open Wide Our Hearts, they affirm the dignity of every human person: “But racism still profoundly affects our culture, and it has no place in the Christian heart. This evil causes great harm to its victims, and…Continue Reading

Trademarks Of The True Messiah

By MSGR. CHARLES POPE (Editor’s Note: Msgr. Charles Pope posted this essay on September 2, and it is reprinted here with permission.) + + In Sunday’s Gospel the Lord firmly sets before us the need for the cross, not as an end in itself, but as the way to glory. Let’s consider the Gospel in three stages.First: The Pattern That…Continue Reading

A Beacon Of Light… The Holy Cross And Jesus’ Unconditional Love

By FR. RICHARD D. BRETON Each year on September 14 the Church celebrates the Feast Day of the Exultation of the Holy Cross. The Feast Day of the Triumph of the Holy Cross commemorates the day St. Helen found the True Cross. It is fitting then, that today we should focus on the final moments of Jesus’ life on the…Continue Reading

Our Ways Must Become More Like God’s Ways

By FR. ROBERT ALTIER Twenty-Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time (YR A) Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9Phil. 1:20c-24, 27aMatt. 20:1-16a In the first reading today, God tells us through the Prophet Isaiah that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. This should not come as a surprise to anyone, especially when we look at what the Lord…Continue Reading

The Devil And The Democrats

By FR. DENIS WILDE, OSA States such as Minnesota, California, Maryland, and others, in all cases with Democrat-controlled legislatures, are on a fast track to not only allow unborn babies to be murdered on demand as a woman’s “constitutional right” but also to allow infanticide.Our nation has gotten so used to the moral evil of killing in the womb that…Continue Reading

Crushed But Unbroken . . . The Martyrdom Of St. Margaret Clitherow

By RAY CAVANAUGH The late-1500s were a tough time for Catholics in England, where the Reformation was in full gear. A 1581 law prohibited Catholic religious ceremonies. And a 1584 Act of Parliament mandated that all Catholic priests leave the country or else face execution. Some chose to remain, however, so they could continue serving the faithful.Also taking huge risks…Continue Reading

Advertisement(2)