Baptism

What do we receive in Baptism?
1. Forgiveness of sin. Original sin for all those who receive it. Personal sins for all those who receive baptism after reaching the age of reason.
2. Indelible mark on the soul. The soul is forever marked in a special way. Because of this baptism cannot be repeated.
3. Membership in the Church. Baptism is the first sacrament of initiation. It makes a person a living member of the Body of Christ. The baptized person does not live in isolation, but he lives in communion with all the members of the Church. The Church is a communion of love.
4. Baptism gives us new life in Christ. The baptized person is not merely a creature, but an adopted son or daughter of God. The baptized person receives the divine life of God. This life in us is called sanctifying grace which consists of 3 parts.
a. Enables us to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him
b. Gives us the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
c. Allows us to grow in goodness through the moral virtues
The whole Christian life has its roots in baptism