home with him” (St. John 14:23). Lastly, the candidate receives a right to
actual graces to assist him in carrying out his baptismal promises.
Consequent upon infusion of grace, all sin, original and actual, is forgiven
and all temporal punishment due to sin is remitted. Scripture speaks clearly
about the power baptism has to forgive sins, as well as the role it has in
bestowing the Holy Spirit:
“Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
“Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his
name” (Acts 22:16).
Without this infusion of grace, the soul cannot be in a fit state to behold the
Beatific Vision upon death. Baptism has all these effects, irrespective of the
age of the candidate, because the sacraments operate ex opere operato, that
is, by their very usage. Provided the recipient places no obstacle of actual
sin in the way, every sacrament properly administered bestows the grace
intended.
On this basis Catholics see no reason to withhold the wonderful effects of
baptism from infants until they reach the age of reason. By baptizing
infants, the Catholic Church frees them as soon as possible from the
dominion of Satan and admits them into the company of children of God:
“Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as
these that the kingdom of heaven belongs” (St. Matt. 19:14). Nowhere is it
stated in Scripture that baptism be administered to adults only.
According to St. Paul, baptism in the Christian religion replaces the Jewish
rite of circumcision (Col. 2:11-12). This Jewish rite was normally given to
infants and made them “religiously clean” and a member of God’s Chosen
Race. With the coming of Christianity it is appropriate that infants should
be accorded a similar and even greater spiritual privilege–namely,
incorporation into Christ’s Mystical Body through baptism. If St. Paul
believed that infants were ineligible for baptism it would have been strange
for him to make the above parallel with circumcision.
 |
 |
 |