Transcript

Baptism applies Christ's wonderful salvation directly to our souls, moving us from the sorry state of sin to the gracious life of God.

But how does this work?

The theology of St. Thomas Aquinas helps us understand the steps involved.

In another video, we discussed the threefold structure of Christ's sacraments: first, the sacramentum tantum, the sign itself or the sacramental rite; second, the res et sacramentum, literally the effect and sign, the intermediate effect that is an efficacious sign toward the sacrament's final goal; and third, the res tantum, the final sacramental effect, the final grace of a sacrament.

Let's apply those three steps to the sacrament of baptism.

In a baptism, the first step, the sacramentum tantum, consists of a minister's washing a recipient's head with water while pronouncing the Trinitarian formula, words that signify that a Christian baptism is taking place.

In Roman Catholicism, the minister says, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Notice the interplay between the words used in a sacrament and the physical objects and gestures that are used.

As we've said in another video, St. Thomas calls the words the sacramental form, and he calls the objects and gestures the sacramental matter.

In baptism, the washing with water is the sacramental matter, and the statement I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the sacramental form.

The form gives clarity to the matter.

This first step springboards the recipient to the second step, the res et sacramentum, the intermediate effect and sign within the overall sacramental process.

In baptism, the res et sacramentum is the baptismal character.

This is a spiritual change to the recipient's soul.

It is a permanent change.

The sacraments effect or bring about what they signify.

In baptism, the washing with water, with the minister's words invoking the Trinity, signifies and brings about interior justification.

Baptism does this by conferring baptismal character.

The second step in the sacramental dynamic, by virtue of baptismal character, the baptized person is incorporated into Christ, his acts and sufferings, and his Church.

Besides this, according to St. Thomas, baptismal character is a power in the soul that moves the person to worship God through the very priesthood of Jesus Christ himself and to be involved in God's work of sanctification.

Baptismal character also gives the ability to receive the entire Christian life of grace, including the other Christian sacraments.

Together, the first and second steps, the sacramentum tantum and the res et sacramentum, launch the one baptized to the third step, the res tantum, or the final grace of the sacrament.

This final grace of baptism is birth into the life of Christ, which means the forgiveness of all sins and birth into the state of grace.

Now wait a minute.

What happens if a baptized person commits a mortal sin?

Mortal sin kills the life of grace in us, but that means that the person has lost the third step of baptism.

Does that mean that the person needs to be re-baptized?

No. Remember the res et sacramentum, the second step of baptism.

The teaching of the Church is that at that step, baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark, character.

No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation given once for all.

Baptism cannot be repeated.

Once baptized, always baptized.

Once a Christian, always a Christian.

The grave sinner does not need baptism; he needs the sacrament of penance, where we can receive forgiveness and the restoration of that third step of baptism, life and grace.

We'll have more videos on that later.

Such review: the complete sacrament of baptism begins with the first step, the sacramentum tantum, the washing with water and the pronouncement of the Trinitarian formula that moves the recipient to the second step, the res et sacramentum, the permanent baptismal character.

Together, the first and second steps move the baptized person to the third step, the res tantum, the baptismal grace of new life in Christ.

The theology of St. Thomas Aquinas helps us better understand how it is that the sacrament of baptism brings us into the saving life of Jesus Christ.

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