We prayed over this today in the Office of Readings. I thought it worth noting in a post for any of us who don’t pray that Office.
Again, my translation of the Italian text I used.
“Let no one think that baptism consists only of the remission of sins and the grace of adoption, as was the baptism of John which confered solely the remission of sin. We however know that baptism, while it frees from sin and obtains the gift of the Holy Spirit, is also a figure and expression of the passion of Christ. Because of this Paul proclaims, ‘Do you not know that as much as we have been baptized in Christ, we have been baptized into his death? For through baptism we have therefore been buried with him into death’ (Rom. 6, 3-4a)” —Catechism of Jerusalem, Catech.20, Mistagogica 2; PG 33. 1081-1082
This was an ancient catechism used during the period of mystagogia, i.e., that period of instruction of the neophyte after his or her reception into the Church at the Easter vigil. During that time the newly baptized were taught the mysteries of the Church, which we call sacraments. Before baptism they were taught the fundamental truths of Christianity, but not in depth about the sacraments and life of the Church. After baptism, they spent a considerable amount of time learning of the truths of the faith which they were not allowed access to prior to their baptism and profession of faith.
The consistent teaching of the Church that baptism not only removes all sin, but also configures us to die and rise with Christ is a rich source of meditation and thought. The symbolization of Jesus’ entombment by the three-fold immersion is the baptismal water and his resurrection to new life by the rising from the baptismal pool is often lost nowadays as most baptisms are done by the pouring of water over the head of the catechumen.
I have heard it said that some baptized Catholics have asked to be “re-baptized” by immersion in the baptismal pool because the symbolism is so strong when they witness such a baptismal ritual. Of course, one cannot be re-baptized, but their desire to personally go through the immersion rite speaks to the power of the dying and rising to new life that the Jerusalem catechism describes in the passage above.
