What happens at Baptism? Death and Eternal Life

Last updated on: July 26, 2022 at 11:14 am by Father Pablo Migone

What happens at Baptism? Death and Eternal Life 2022-07-26T11:14:30-05:00 Father Pablo Migone

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Saint Paul to the Colossians 2:12-14

You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And even when you were dead in transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross.

This passage from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians contains the heart of what we believe of baptism as Catholics: what baptism is and what it does.

What is it that God the Father does at baptism? Why is it that Saint Paul speaks about its effect not only in this passage from Colossians, but writes much about it in his various letters? What does it mean that when we are baptized, we are buried and then given new life in Jesus Christ?

In the one year I have been your pastor, I have baptized twenty children and adults at Corpus Christi, and at Our Lady of Lourdes, between Father Carlos and I, we have baptized about forty. This is one of the greatest things that we do as a church – what exactly do we believe?

We oftentimes hear that baptism frees us from original sin or that it makes us part of God’s family; but Saint Paul, though he would agree with this, stresses over and over again that in baptism we die and rise again.

There was a tradition in parts of the ancient world that when an adult was baptized, the priest would get in the water with the person being baptized. The person should be dunked into the water, and his head would be kept underwater until the baptized almost ran out of breath. Then, he’d be allowed to rise and take a very deep breath. Then again “in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit.” As far as I know, this practice is no longer done anywhere in the church, but why was it done? It was done in recognition that there is a death and a new birth in baptism. The person being baptized was taken right to the point of death by drowning, and then they could take a deep, life-giving breath. In the Old Testament, we hear of the breath of God that gives life. The person being baptized experienced death and then life rushing into his or her lungs.

Saint Paul teaches that when we are baptized, we are united to Christ so intimately that we became one with Him. Through baptism have been united to Christ and especially in his death and resurrection. When a person is baptized, we are so intimately united to Christ that Christ shares with us everything that He is, and in that he shares with us the experience of death and new life. We die and rise to new life in Christ. We die to the presence of sin, to the hold of Satan, and to the presence of the darkness that looms over the world, and we are born new creatures redeemed by Christ. Whenever Jesus enters into a soul, His presence and light immediately dispel the presence of evil, sin and darkness. When we are baptized, that is what happens to the soul: Christ enters and remains, and everything that is not from God is dispelled.

We use water in baptism, which signifies what happens in baptism. Water is a power symbol and it has been throughout history. Water is a symbol for life; without water nothing grows and everything dies. But water as a symbol represents a paradox because it not only represents cleanliness and newness of life, but also death. Too much water brings destruction. Water is a symbol for death and life. As we enter into the waters of baptism, as Christ enters our souls and remains there, the water reminds us that there is a death to sin and a rebirth in newness of life.

Paul makes it clear throughout his letters that baptism is a death and resurrection, and because through our baptism we have already died and risen with Christ, and Christ has shared that reality with us, that whenever we face our earthly death, because we are so united to Christ through baptism, Jesus will allow us to experience the same resurrection He did. Through baptism we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ.

Baptism is what fills us with hope as Christians. Though we know of the certainty of dying, the day will come to all of us, baptism allows us to live with hope, and to approach our death with hope. Certainly, we are sad when we miss our loved ones, but we know that though we die like Christ, that he will raise us up to new life.

Yesterday afternoon I had a funeral Mass followed by a baptism. As priests we experience this all the time: the two parentheses of the Christian life – the beginning at a baptism and the end at a funeral. I was struck once again how the symbols of baptism are present at the funeral mass. When the body enters the Church for a funeral, the priest welcomes it with holy water, sprinkles it and prays, “in the waters of baptisms you died with Christ, may he now welcome you into eternal glory.” A reminder of the waters of baptism – what began then has brought you to the moment of death. Then a white pall is placed over the casket which symbolizes newness of life, in the same we were dressed in a white vestment at baptism. We clothe the body of the deceased in white to remind us of the promise of baptism. That what was promised at baptism, will now be granted. Finally, the Paschal Candle is placed next to the casket. That same candle is lit at a baptism to remind us of the words of Jesus, “I am the light of the world.” We are reminded that Christ, when he enters into the darkness and sin of the world, he dispels the presence of evil. The Paschal Candle reminds us that Jesus has come into our souls to redeem us. At a funeral Mass, we light the same candle to remind us that now the time has come for the promise to be fulfilled: the promise of eternal life.

We have all received the same promise from Jesus – eternal life. The reality of baptism, this intimate union with Christ, allows us to move forward with confidence in our lives, knowing that we belong to Him and that He is with us.

We pray today that we may be renewed in our baptism. That we may have a greater sense and greater hope in knowing that whenever we take our last breath, death will not have the final word, because those of us who have been baptized, though we die, will rise with Christ and live forever.

Picture used according to Creative Commons Attributions

Previous Post

July 21, 2022

Human life is science, not faith

Next Post

August 1, 2022 Vanity of Vanities and Bigger Barns

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Article Catholic Lima Christmas Commentary History Homily Immigration martyrs Meditation Pope Reflection Saint Story Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 January 2010 June 2009 September 2008 August 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where did Elijah confront the prophets of Baal?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mount Horeb Mount Zion Mount Sinai Mount Carmel