The Sacrament of Baptism

"Baptism: The Sacrament of regeneration by water in the word."

~The Catechism of the Council of Trent.

*

 *

 *

 *

"The faithful are earnestly to be exhorted to take care that their children be brought to the church, as soon as it can be done with safety, to receive solemn Baptism. Since infant children have no other means of salvation except Baptism, we may easily understand how grievously those persons sin who permit them to remain without the grace of the Sacrament longer than necessity may require, particularly at an age so tender as to be exposed to numberless dangers of death."

~The Catechism of the Council of Trent.

*

 *

*

"With regard to those of adult age who enjoy the perfect use of reason ... [T]o them the Christian faith is to be proposed; and they are earnestly to be exhorted, persuaded, and invited to embrace it. ... Besides, the longer they defer Baptism, the longer are they deprived of the use and graces of the other Sacraments, by which the Christian religion is practised, since the other Sacraments are accessible through Baptism only."

~The Catechism of the Council of Trent.

*

 *

*

"In order that grown-up persons having the use of reason may receive this Sacrament worthily and profitably, they must believe and profess their belief in the necessary Articles of the Christian Faith -- they must have trust in the mercy and merits of Christ, and be sorry for their sins; being assisted in so doing by actual grace, which grace God grants to every one and without which no one can move a single step towards heaven."

~The Glories of the Catholic Church, Vol. I, pg. 88.

*

 *

*

"Baptism is a Sacrament absolutely necessary for all, without which no one can enter into the kingdom of God, for Jesus Christ has said: 'Amen, amen, I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'"

~The Glories of the Catholic Church, Vol. I, pg. 87.

*

 *

*

"First Effect of Baptism: The remission of sin

Second Effect of Baptism: Remission of all punishment due to sin

Third Effect of Baptism: Grace of regeneration

Fourth Effect of Baptism: Infused virtues and incorporation with Christ

Fifth Effect of Baptism: Character of Christian

Sixth Effect of Baptism: Opening the gates of Heaven."

~ The Catechism of the Council of Trent 

*

 *

*

"It is manifest that ceremonies contribute to the more religious and holy administration of the Sacraments  and serve to place, as it were, before the eyes the exalted and inestimable gifts which they contain, and impress on the minds of the faithful a deeper sense of the boundless beneficence of God."

~The Catechism of the Council of Trent

*

*

"As infants are made heirs to earthly property before they are capable of consenting to receive it, so also in holy Baptism infants are made heirs of heaven before they are capable of consenting to be baptized; their consent in both cases is justly presumed." 

~The Glories of the Catholic Church, Vol. I, pg. 88.

*

 *

 *

*

[In Spain, these little "arms" were used to put blessed salt in the mouth of the babies being baptized]

*

 *

*

"Finally, a name is given [to] the person baptized. It should be taken from some person whose eminent sanctity has given him a place in the catalogue of the Saints. The similarity of names will stimulate each one to imitate the virtues and holiness of the Saint, and, moreover, to hope and pray that he who is the model for his imitation will also be his advocate and watch over the safety of his body and soul." 

~The Catechism of the Council of Trent.

*

 *

[Offering of newly-born babies to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary -- a very Hispanic custom, which is done much less frequently and much less solemnly these days]

*