Day 166: Introduction to Baptism

Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church, and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word." CCC 1213

In today's reading, the Catechism discusses the Sacrament of Baptism. In this first of the Holy Mysteries, we are "born again," as some Protestants would say, or "born of water and the Spirit" (Jn 3:5) as Jesus says in the Gospel. Rather than being limited to a personal conversion experience though, through the sacramental reality of Baptism we are spiritually reborn (Rom 6:3-4), cleansed of original sin (Tit 3:5), made a child of God (Gal 3:26-27), and incorporated into the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13).

The Catechism Compendium summarizes how Baptism is prefigured in the Old Covenant:

In the Old Covenant Baptism was prefigured in various ways: water, seen as source of life and of death; in the Ark of Noah, which saved by means of water; in the passing through the Red Sea, which liberated Israel from Egyptian slavery; in the crossing of the Jordan River, that brought Israel into the promised land which is the image of eternal life. (#253)

I like how the Catechism Companion, Vol II puts this:

God reveals himself in nature. He slowly continued to reveal himself in the Old Covenant to Abraham, Moses, and the people of God. From the beginning, he has used water in powerful ways. Springs of water can represent life, while deep waters can represent death. The symbolism comes together in Jesus. We have been baptized into Christ's death, and in that Baptism, we are given his life. God uses water in the saving of his people, such as when he saves Noah and his family during the Flood or when he saves the Israelites from the Egyptians at the Red Sea. (p. 96) 

"Baptism is an essential part of initiation in the Church. Without Baptism, we are unable to receive the other sacraments" (p. 97). Ascension recommends this video to "dive deeper":