Lesson 14 – The Rite of Baptism Explained

As the Letter of St. Paul to Titus says, Christ “saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit.”

But why does Christian baptism use water? How much water do you need? Who can baptize? Why do we baptize babies? What’s the word “baptize” mean anyway? We’ll answer all these questions in this episode.

Course Reading

NOTE: Some of the non-essential elements of the rite that St. Thomas describes in this article have changed since his time.

Summa Theologiae III, q. 66, a. 10 | St. Thomas Aquinas

Summa Theologiae III, q. 66, a. 3 | St. Thomas Aquinas

Excerpt from the Summa Theologiae III, q. 65, a. 9:

In the sacrament of Baptism something is done which is essential to the sacrament, and something which belongs to a certain solemnity of the sacrament. Essential indeed, to the sacrament are both the form which designates the principal cause of the sacrament; and the minister who is the instrumental cause; and the use of the matter, namely, washing with water, which designates the principal sacramental effect. But all the other things which the Church observes in the baptismal rite, belong rather to a certain solemnity of the sacrament.

Course Listening

Grace Beyond Beauty: Thomism and the Liturgical Movement | Fr. Ephrem Reese, O.P.

The Origins of Water | Dr. Karin Öberg