Lesson 12
The Effects of Baptism
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The very best part of the Sacrament of Baptism are the effects. No matter how old you are, and no matter what sins you have committed, the moment you are baptized all of your sins are forgiven! That is amazing and wonderful at the same time! The stain of the original sin of Adam and Eve is washed away, and so are the stains of all of our personal sins, venial or mortal; the ones we remembered and the ones we forgot. And all of the punishment due to our sins is remitted by Baptism too.
At the moment of our Baptism, we become “children of God” and a member of the Catholic Church. Our soul is filled with Sanctifying Grace, as well as actual grace, and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of the Lord. We also receive the three Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.
Baptism is one of the sacraments that confers a “sacramental seal” on our soul – something invisible but real, visible to God and our Angels, and therefore unrepeatable. You are only baptized once. Even for Protestants who join the Catholic Church later, they are not re-baptized if they were baptized with water and the Trinitarian formula, and most of them were.
Finally, because Baptism is so important a record of it is kept in the parish register, and the newly baptized person receives a baptismal certificate. It is such an important moment in the life of a person, that it is well worth celebrating every year on the anniversary of your Baptism. And one way to do that is to renew your baptismal promises on that day!
So tune in every day of Lent to learn more about your Catholic faith, because if you Learn it, then you can Live it; and if you Live it, you will Love it; and if you Love it, you will never Leave it!
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