Sacraments
"The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments." — CCC #1113
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"The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments." — CCC #1113 |
Baptism
“You have put on Christ, in him you have been baptized. Alleluia, alleluia!”
What is Baptism?
On behalf of St. Bernard Catholic Church, congratulations! We know this is an exciting time for you as you welcome a new member of your family. We rejoice with you and invite you to make your child also a member of Christ’s Body by bringing them into the Church through the Sacrament of Baptism. Baptism is the first of three Sacraments of Initiation whereby a person becomes a member of the Church. These three sacraments taken together "lay the foundations of every Christian life" (CCC 1212) and Baptism as the first of these initial sacraments is "the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other sacraments" (CCC 1213). In his encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus said that "no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (John 3:5) signifying the sacrament of Baptism which he would institute. It was in his own baptism by St. John the Baptist that Jesus purified the waters of the earth preparing them to be a vessel of God's grace. It was in his suffering, death, and resurrection that Jesus opened the fountain of Baptism to all people. Baptism was fully instituted as a sacrament when Jesus commissioned his apostles to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
The Effects of Baptism
The first effect of the Sacrament of Baptism is the washing away of original sin and the forgiveness of all personal sins if the person being baptized is old enough to have committed any personal sins. Just as we use water to wash our bodies from dirt, the waters of baptism wash our souls from spiritual dirt or sin.
The second effect of Baptism is being made a new creature by being reborn through water and the Holy Spirit. In baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon the person and takes up residence in his soul. Thus, Baptism makes us the dwelling place of the Most Blessed Trinity and a holy temple of God. Due to original sin, we are deprived of the divine life of the Holy Spirit. But when this original stain is washed away, we are born anew and made adopted children of God.
The third effect of Baptism is being made members of the Church, the Body of Christ, and the family of God, and unites us to all the baptized throughout the world.
Finally, Baptism leaves an indelible (permanent) mark on our soul which identifies us as being configured to Christ and sealed with the sign of faith. This mark can never be removed.
Baptismal Preparation
Before having your child baptized, there are several things you will need to do.
First, you will need to download and complete the Baptism Form (see below). This includes a basic information form as well as a Parent Testimonial form to be signed by the Catholic parent(s) stating that they will raise the child in the Catholic faith and two Godparent Testimonial forms to be signed by the godparents stating that they meet the criteria listed on the form in order to be a godparent and that they will help the parents raise the child in the Catholic faith.
Both the parents and godparents will then need to complete a baptismal seminar if this is their first child to be baptized at St. Bernard Church. These are held at the St. Bernard Church Office. Contact our office for more information.
Once this is complete, a date can be set for your child's Baptism. Our regularly scheduled Baptisms occur on the second weekend of the month following the 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a baptism, please contact us at 337-332-2159
Adult Baptism
If you are an adult and are interested in being baptized, please call the office at 337-332-2159.