The sacrament of baptism signifies and accomplishes death to sin and entrance into the life of the Blessed Trinity through configuration to the paschal mystery of Christ. In the Latin Church, the minister pours water three times over the head of the candidate and pronounces: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
Thanks to Baptism, we are purified of original sin and become part of the Church and the mystical body of Christ. Once we have received the sacrament of Baptism, we have access to the other sacraments and begin to embark on the path of the Spirit. Purified by God's unconditional forgiveness, we become, to all intents and purposes, his children.
«It frees us from sin and makes us children of God. (...) We renew and confirm our own Baptism, the sacrament that makes us Christians, freeing us from sin and transforming us into children of God, by the power of his Spirit of life. (...) It introduces us all into the Church, which is the people of God, made up of men and women of every nation and culture, regenerated by his Spirit.», Pope Leo XIV, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 2026.
Holy Baptism is the foundation of the whole Christian life, the portico of life in the spirit and the door that opens access to the other sacraments. Through baptism we are freed from sin and regenerated as children of God, we become members of Christ and are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1213
The word baptism comes from the Greek βάπτισμα, baptisma, “immersion". That's exactly what it is, an immersion in purifying water.
The symbology of the water and its saving powerin the Old Testament, it was considered to be instrument of God's will. It happened in the Flood, and in the passage of the Red Sea by Moses and the chosen people to flee Egypt. Also in the baptism of St. John the Baptist, which is the closest thing to the sacrament of Baptism as we know it today.
Jesus came to John to receive Baptism; he truly accepts his own destiny. Coming up out of the water, Jesus sees the heavens open and the Holy Spirit appear in the form of a dove, while from heaven a voice is heard: «You are my beloved Son, my beloved.
The Holy Spirit descends upon him, investing him in his role, transforming him into the Lamb of God. It is the beginning of a new life and the premonition of death, which will lead to the Resurrection. The destiny of a man and of all mankind is achieved on the banks of the Jordan.
From the day of Pentecost, baptism of fire of the Holy Spirit or descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus, begins the mission of the Apostles and the beginning of the Christian Church.
From this moment on Peter and the other disciples begin to preach the need to repent of their sins and receive Baptism in order to obtain forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
"We Christians live in the world and are not exempt from darkness and gloom. However, the grace of Christ received in Baptism brings us out of the night and into the light of day. The most beautiful exhortation we can make to one another is to remind ourselves of our baptism, because through it we have been born for God, being new creatures." Pope Francis, General Audience August 2017.
Jesus begins his public life after being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan and, after his Resurrection, he confers this mission to his Apostles: «Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you».
Our Lord willingly submitted to the baptism of St. John where the Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father manifested Jesus as His beloved Son.
With his Death and Resurrection, Christ opened to all men the fountains of grace. Therefore, the baptism of the Church erases original sin and makes us children of God. Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 1223, 1224, 1225.
Since the day of Pentecost the Church has celebrated and administered holy baptism. In fact, St. Peter declared to the crowd moved by his preaching: "Repent [...] and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). The Apostles and their co-workers offer baptism to whoever believes in Jesus: Jews, God-fearing men, pagans.
Baptism is always linked to faith: "Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household," St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi. The account in the Acts of the Apostles continues: "the jailer immediately received baptism, he and all his household".
According to the Apostle Paul, through Baptism the believer participates in the death of Christ; he is buried and rises with Him: «Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life» (Rom 6:3-4).
The baptized have "clothed themselves with Christ". Through the Holy Spirit, baptism is a bath that purifies, sanctifies and justifies. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1226, 1227.
Baptism, like all the Sacraments, implies the use of sacred elements in order to impart it. Because they are sacred, they are used only for that purpose and must be blessed by the bishop or a priest. There are also symbolic gestures and non-verbal signs that together give light to this precious and indispensable sacrament in the life of a Christian.
There are many symbols of baptism so that we humans are able to imagine what is happening in the soul of the baptized person, which we cannot see with our eyes:
Water is the central symbol of the sacrament of Baptism., represents the love of God. It is poured on the forehead of the baptized as a source of inexhaustible love. It has the function of purifying, washing the body and soul of sin. Water is also an element universally recognized as a symbol of life.
At the moment the priest pours water three times over the head of the baptized, the faithful are united with Christ both in his death and in his resurrection and glorification.
As Pope Leo explained, «My dear brothers and sisters, God does not look at the world from afar, at the margins of our lives, our afflictions and our hopes. He comes among us with the wisdom of his Word made flesh, making us part of an amazing plan of love for all humanity.
That is why John the Baptist, filled with astonishment, asked Jesus: «And do you come to me» (v. 14). Yes, in his holiness, the Lord is baptized like all sinners, to reveal the infinite mercy of God. The only-begotten Son, in whom we are brothers and sisters, comes indeed to serve and not to dominate, to save and not to condemn. He is the redeeming Christ; he takes upon himself what is ours, including sin, and gives us what is his, that is, the grace of a new and eternal life.» (St. Peter's Square. Sunday, January 11, 2026, Angelus).
Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan at the beginning of his public ministry (cf. Mt. 3:13-17), not out of necessity, but out of redemptive solidarity. On that occasion, water is definitively indicated as the material element of the sacramental sign. «Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God» (Jn 3:5).
In the Old Testament, the Light, was a symbol of faith, With the advent of Jesus, this symbolism has been enriched with new fundamental meanings in the life of the Christian. The light in baptism is a symbol that represents the guide on the path of encounter with Christ which in turn is light in our lives and in the world. It also symbolizes the resurrection of Christ.
Pope Francis said in a general audience: «This light is a treasure that we must preserve and transmit to others. The Christian is called to be a "Christophore," a bearer of Jesus to the world. Through concrete signs, we manifest the presence and love of Jesus to others, especially to those who are going through difficult situations. If we are faithful to our Baptism, we will spread the light of God's hope and transmit reasons for life to future generations».
Holy oil is a perfumed and consecrated oil used in the sacrament of Baptism. The anointing with chrism oil symbolizes the full diffusion of grace.. The priest uses the oil to trace a cross on the chest and another between the shoulder blades of the baptized person. He can also use it to anoint the head, stamping it with a seal that consecrates it to its new role.
All this symbolizes strength in the fight against temptations, a kind of shield against sin. The purpose of this symbol of baptism is to consecrate the entrance of the Christian into the great family of the church by symbolizing the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It is also used in the sacrament of confirmation, priestly ordination and anointing of the faithful. patients. The Holy Oil is blessed once a year by the bishop during the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday.
"Moreover, the heavens are opened, the Spirit descends in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father confirms the divine filiation of Christ: events that reveal in the Head of the future Church what will later be sacramentally realized in her members." (Jn 3:5)
The white garment symbolizes that the baptized person has "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27): he has risen with Christ.
The purity of the soul without stain, symbolized by the white garment, after the sacrament of Baptism, the profound change and inner renewal that the sacrament has brought to those who have received it. White is a symbol of a new life, the new dignity that covers the baptized. In ancient times, those who were to be baptized wore a new white robe before joining the other faithful in the Church.
«In baptism, our Father God has taken possession of our lives, has incorporated us into Christ's and has sent us the Holy Spirit. The Lord, Holy Scripture tells us, has saved us by making us reborn through baptism, renewing us by the Holy Spirit, whom He has poured out upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, justified by grace, we may become heirs of eternal life according to the hope that we have.». Item 128. It is Christ who passes, in the chapter The Great Unknown, Saint Josemaría Escrivá.
The four gifts of the sacrament of Baptism:
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