Baptize Or Not: Does It Really Matter?

Time2bCatholic.com

In the Garden of Eden, the first married couple had free will.  Choosing to do life on their own terms, instead of trusting God, they ended with a mess of heartache. Lots of stories in the Bible, and in life, end that way--with heartache when someone chooses the opposite of godly fatherly teaching.   The kids hear over and over from me that we live on this earth, some part of a hundred years: But our soul lives eternally forever.  If getting Baptized is important to God, and benefits a soul for eternity...even with doubt, and a tiny mustard seed of faith, --hedging our bet toward God's forever option, seems like a no-brainer.  

Skip way ahead from the Garden of Eden to the New Testament.  Except for a select few, no one knew Jesus was God until he was about thirty years old.  'Till then, I guess neighbors just thought the Holy Family were the super nice folks next door...  When Jesus was thirty, he moved out of his parent's house, "finally" ready to tell the whole world he was God.  The very first thing he did, before beginning his three year mission to the Cross, was to go to his cousin, John the Baptist, and get Baptized.  He knew people would soon be following and emulating him. He wanted us to do it! --It's the first opportunity in our Sacramental journey too, and should be scheduled as soon as the health of the baby and Mother are stabilized, and a reasonable effort is made for important relatives to attend.  Several weeks after birth is usual, but of course, a person may be Baptized at any age.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church (find it online at usccb.org, section 1213-1284 but 1275-1284 explains in brief...) is clear that parents, just as they care for the child's body, should "not deny a priceless grace" upon the health of the child's soul, "of becoming a child of God".

Baptism is more than just about Repentance and washing our soul clean of all sin including the Original Sin of Adam and Eve..., like his cousin John was rightly preaching.  If Jesus had sins to repent, then Christianity is a lie.  No, Jesus was sinless, but while still fully God, --he joined us as fully human, showing us that Baptism was the first step for us to get right with God, and to choose/allow, with our free will, to allow God in, to get right with us.  God loves us--and knows we're gonna sin--and that we need him to clean our soul of sins.  It's why he "walked a mile in our human shoes" and got Baptized.  Jesus wants us to follow him - to do as he says and does, as much as we can muster. 

Baptism is the first of the 7 Sacraments Jesus instituted on Earth.   It's a serious immersion into God's Mercy, and puts a permanent mark on our human soul that we belong to Him. 

I let my kids' hand be stamped to mark that they're admitted to a Fair. 

I sure want my kids' soul stamped with proof of admission to Heaven!

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Check out:

-usccb.org 

           - the whole Bible is on usccb (Bible tab at the top), written as the originators wrote it

(as God gave Authority to His one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church to compile

73 books into 1, unchanged Bible for over 1500 years... until Catholic Priest: Martin Luther)

                       Matthew Chapter 3: Jesus gets Baptized...submitting to God The Father's plan...

                        Mark Chapter 1:  Jesus gets Baptized "equipped" by the Holy Spirit - and publicly acknowledged by the Father (all heard God speak at Jesus' Baptism)... then he goes out into the desert for 40 days to pray and fast (something else He hopes we emulate) before doing his 1st miracle, Water to Wine...

                        Luke Chapter 3:    at the bottom of Chapter 3 on usccb.org, check out the 1st paragraph of footnotes...

Baptism:

Matthew 28:19,

Mark 1:4-5, 7-8

Luke 18:15-16

John 3:5,

Acts 2:37-39,

Acts 16:28-34,

2 Corinthians 5:17,

Ephesians 4:5,

Colossians 2:11-12                 

- and the whole Catechism of the Catholic Church is on usccb too

(2nd on the list in the Resources tab at the top).  

                     Baptism section: is 1213-1284 but 1275-1284 explains in brief

-on YouTube

-Type in: Fr. Mike Schmitz-Baptism.

He is young and fun and talks fast in his several videos about Baptism.

              -Type in: Bishop Robert Barron's The Rosary - Luminous Mysteries. 

The Baptism of Jesus is the first Mystery, and he explains it in a moment - well.

              -Type in: Bishop Fulton Sheen-Baptism.  For 5 straight years, this guy, now on the road to being declared a Saint, had a super-popular TV show in the 50's, Life Is Worth Living, explaining the Catholic faith.  YouTube has several of his videos explaining Baptism.