Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism is the first sacrament of the Catholic Church. This sacrament is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. The Sacrament of Baptism is a sacrament of faith that initiates us into the Body of Christ, into His life, His death, and His resurrection.
Baptism is also the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word. It is the essential sacrament in becoming a disciple of Christ and puts an indelible mark upon our souls. The two principal effects of the Sacrament of Baptism are purification from sins and new birth in the Holy Spirit -- we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God. Through the waters of faith, the one being baptized is welcomed into God's family.
If you would like to receive the Sacrament of Baptism for your infant child, please contact the Parish Office (815-589-3542).
Biblical explanation of the Sacrament of Baptism:
In the Gospel of John, chapter 3, verse 5 Jesus states, "I solemnly assure you, no one can enter into God's kingdom without being begotten of water and the Spirit." The water is what we see and the Spirit is the grace given that is unseen. The water is what is physical in baptism and the Spirit is what is spiritual. As Humans, we are both physical and spiritual. Jesus uses the physical to give us the spiritual. As an example, Jesus Himself gets baptized in Mt 3:13-17, Mk 1:9-11 and Lk 3:21-22. The difference in this baptism is that He did not need baptism. Rather His baptism made the water holy, so that the water of baptism would make us holy as testified by St Augustine. So Jesus states the necessity of Baptism and then does it as an example for us to follow. To reaffirm the necessity of Baptism, Jesus also states in Matthew 28:19, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". Jesus Himself makes this command of the Apostles as the last things He says before He ascends into heaven. This stresses the importance of Baptism in God's plan for Baptism.
But how was this practiced and taught after Jesus left? How was baptism taught by the Apostles after Jesus ascended? In Acts of the Apostles 2;38, Peter is giving his first proclamation on the day of Pentecost. The large crowd was "cut to the heart' (v37) and asked what they needed to do. Peter responded, "You must reform and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that your sins may be forgiven" (v38). Peter, on Pentecost day, is filled with the Holy Spirit and declares to the people that they "must" be baptized and that this is needed for the forgiveness of sins. This is where we get the teaching that Baptism has the power of forgiveness of all previous sins. Forgiveness of sins is necessary to enter into heaven. Peter also mentions in his first letter 3:21, "You are now saved by a baptismal bath...This baptism is no removal of physical stain, but the pledge of God of an irreproachable conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ". So salvation comes through baptism. With the previous quote from Peter, when asked what to do, baptism was necessary. The second here reaffirms that salvation is given in Baptism.
Paul talks about becoming a child of God in his letter to the Galatians when he writes, "Each one of you is a son of God because of your faith in Christ Jesus. All of you have been baptized into Christ and have clothed yourselves with Him." (Gal 3:26-27) All those who are baptized become a child of God. Faith is always assumed in baptism, weather it is the faith of the person being baptized or their parents. It is also assumed that infants were baptized with entire households as was taught by Peter (Acts 2:39) and practiced (Acts 8:38, 16:14-15) in the latter baptism, the whole household was baptized. This assumes any infants. But how can one person be baptized on the faith of another? When we turn to Mark 2 where Jesus is about to heal the paralytic, there are certain men that tear a hole into the roof of where Jesus was. Mark states in verse 5, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'My son, your sins are forgiven'". So Jesus sees the faith of those who tore the hole in the roof and therefore chose to forgive the paralytic. In a similar way, parents can have their children baptized and consequently have the door of heaven opened to their children.
Salvation:
Baptism does not guarantee heaven. Just because a person is baptized, does not mean they are getting into heaven no matter what. Jesus says "None of those who cry out, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of God but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven" (Mt 7:21) Jesus backs this up with giving a parable about a person who builds his house on rock or sand. Works are a necessary part of our judgement at the end of our lives. Hebrews 9:27 states, "Just as it is appointed that men die once, and after death be judged" So our judgement will be individual at the moment of our death. This will be the time of our definitive salvation. "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2Cor 5:7). We do not need to know with absolute knowledge that we are saved. This would not be faith at all, nor can this be hope. If one proclaims they have already been saved, they say they have already been judged, but that is a contradiction to Hebrews and faith. Absolute knowledge contradicts faith. Faith has a certitude and is not absolute. God requires us to act on faith. and so we simply thank God for His goodness and respond to His goodness that cannot be outdone. We simply trust God that he would fulfill His promises to us.
Our judgement, when we die will be integrated as humans. We are both physical and spiritual beings. To be a just and integrated judgement, it must be both physically and spiritually based. The physical part of our judgement is our actions. the spiritual will deal with our spiritual dispositions of our souls. This includes faith and if we have loved God in the heart.