Baptism

Baptism
Baptism, is a “… sacrament in which, by water and the word of God, Christians are cleansed from all sin, re-born, and sanctified in Christ to life everlasting.” (Laux, 12) This most important sacrament is necessary for one’s salvation. The reason for this is because one cannot go to heaven without being baptized. There are many factors that go into baptism such as the form, matter, and minister. From this sacrament the recipient can merit many different graces and other gifts from God.
The word baptism means to be immerged or dripping, or under water by washing. (Laux, 12) An interesting thing about the sacrament of Baptism is that it was not instituted when St. John the Baptist was baptized. In the case of St. John, the ceremony that took place is said to have been an act of penance, and was not seen as a sacrament. Father Laux says that it was not a sacrament because it did not remit sin and was not needed. When Christ baptized St. John in a way he was instituting the sacrament. So the sacrament only existed after the baptism of St. John had been baptized.   “… it did not remit sin ex opere operato, but only ex opere operanis.” (Laux, 12)   IN other words, Christ baptizing St. John did not remit sin, “by the very fact of the actions being performed.” But rather St. John’s sins were remitted because of the fact that Jesus Christ; the Son of God was preforming the act, in other words, “from the work of the doer.” (CC, 1128)
The sacrament of Baptism was instituted by Christ. One thing that the Church has decided on is that there is no clear place where Christ instituted the sacrament, but it is often believed that Christ instituted the sacrament when He baptized St. John. So another words, St. John’s actual baptism was not a sacrament then and there for the above mentioned reasons. However, the way Christ baptized St. John put into stone the way others should be baptized. Even though the church is not positive of the official time Baptism was...