Monday, July 2, 2012
263. What are the effects of Baptism? (part 2 continuation)
(Comp
263 repetition) Baptism takes away original sin, all personal sins and all
punishment due to sin. It makes the baptized person a participant in the divine
life of the Trinity through sanctifying grace, the grace of justification which
incorporates one into Christ and into his Church. It gives one a share in the
priesthood of Christ and provides the basis for communion with all Christians.
It bestows the theological virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. A baptized
person belongs forever to Christ. He is marked with the indelible seal of
Christ (character).
“In
brief”
(CCC
1280) Baptism imprints
on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the
baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot
be repeated (cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624).
To deepen and
explain
(CCC
1266) The Most Holy
Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification: - enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him,
and to love him through the theological virtues; - giving them the power to
live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the
Holy Spirit; - allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.
Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in
Baptism. (CCC 1267) Baptism makes us members
of the Body of Christ: "Therefore… we are members one of another"
(Eph 4:25). Baptism incorporates us into
the Church. From the baptismal fonts is born the one People of God of the
New Covenant, which transcends all the natural or human limits of nations,
cultures, races, and sexes: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into
one body" (1 Cor 12:13).
On
reflection
(CCC
1268) The baptized have
become "living stones" to be "built into a spiritual house, to
be a holy priesthood" (1 Pet 2:5). By Baptism they share in the priesthood
of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission. They are "a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that [they] may declare the
wonderful deeds of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous
light" (1 Pet 2:9). Baptism gives a
share in the common priesthood of all believers. (CCC
1269) Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs
no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us (Cf. 1 Cor 6:19; 2
Cor 5:15). From now on, he is called to be subject to others, to serve them in
the communion of the Church, and to "obey and submit" to the Church's
leaders (Heb 13:17), holding them in respect and affection (Cf. Eph 5:21; 1 Cor
16:15-16; 1 Thess 5:12-13; Jn 13:12-15). Just as Baptism is the source of
responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within the
Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to
be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church (Cf. LG 37; CIC, cann.
208-223; CCEO, can. 675:2). [IT CONTINUES]
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