Catholic Sacraments: Baptism and Confirmation

Baptism is a water purification ritual. This ritual symbolizes the cleansing of a person's sins. It also represents the union of the person being baptized with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection so that he becomes one of Christ's faithful.

Baptism as we know it today in the Catholic church can be traced back to the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist performed this in the Jordan River. Today there are two types of baptisms. There is the infant baptism which is also know as paedobaptism or pedobaptism. The other one is adult baptism which is known also as credobaptism. There are criticisms of each side. Those who oppose credo baptisms say that God saves whom he will, regardless of their worthiness or knowledge on the part of the saved. Those who oppose pedobaptisms say that those being baptized should consciously know what is going on as they see baptism as something for those who already believe.

There are three ways in which a baptism is performed. One of these is called aspersion. This is done by sprinkling water over the head. Another one is infusion in which you poor water over the head. The last one is full immersion where the entire body is lowered into a pool of water. As a baptism is being done a standard liturgy or rite is being spoken. Traditionally, as the body and the water touch, the words ""I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" ( Matthew 28:19) are being spoken.

Baptism is not only seen literally and symbolically as a cleansing, but also as the dying and rising of Christ again. Catholics believe that baptism is needed to remove the original sin that we are all born with, so infant baptism is often practiced. In Catholicism it is taught that baptism is necessary for salvation and entry into heaven. Therefore, those who willingly and knowingly reject baptism have no hope for salvation. Baptism is also the first sacrament that is performed in life and is part of the sacraments of initiation.

Confirmation is a rite used in the Church. It is said to bring an increase and deepening of grace of Baptism. It unites people more firmly to Christ and increases the gift of the Holy spirit inside. It gives us a closer tie to the Church and let's people confess the name of Christ boldly and without shame. In the Catholic Church, it is a sacrament that is usually only conferred to those old enough and mature enough to understand the significance. It is supposed to give those who go through with this sacrament the strength to defend the Holy Spirit and spread His word.

The people who usually go through Confirmation are usually young. I had several friends go through the Confirmation process. I had a few that went through it at around 9 or 10 and there was another group that went through it around 13 or 14. The kids who were older usually had a better grasp of what was going on and what they were doing. They went to a bunch of classes and learned a lot of things about Christ and Catholic teachings.

My research found that the first roots of this sacrament were found in Act of the Apostles 8:14-17, "Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit" This sacrament is usually carried out some years after Baptism but before the sacrament of the Eucharist. Something often associated with this sacrament is oils.