I was Born a Heathen … then I was Baptized

My apologies for the misleading title. Both my mother and father were Catholics when I was born. But I wanted to comment on the uniqueness of Baptism. The Catholic Religion is not just a belief system to which we give our assent. We believe that there are ontological changes involved with our rituals. Both the sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation leaves an indelible marks on our souls. It is easy to take that for granted if we are cradle Catholics.

A heathen is someone who has not been baptized. We are all born without being Baptized. Therefore, we are all heathens at our birth. It is important to remember that the waters of Baptism mean something. There is a reason Jesus commissioned the apostles to Baptize all the nations in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19) We have a certain urgency to bring all peoples, nations, language, ethnicities into the Body of Christ through Baptism.

Baptism is the ORDINARY way that we are brought into the body of Christ. God is not limited by the sacraments so whose to say in God’s mercy that there are other extraordinary ways to be brought into the body of Christ, but that is not the topic for this article. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.” The water of Baptism is meant to be an adoption ceremony into the Body of Christ. Like Paul says in Romans 8:12-17:

So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

The waters of Baptism mean something. Our status as heirs of God does not come about because of our family religion, or our proximity to Catholic culture, or even our good deeds. It is through the waters of Baptism that we are anointed priest, prophet, and king. We become a new creation where the Old Adam dies and a New Adam may take root. We submerge ourselves beneath the water of Baptism as a death to self so that we may rise with Christ. (More reading on Baptism:https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_two/section_two/chapter_one/article_1/vii_the_grace_of_baptism.html)

Let us phrase the sacraments of initiation with our status in the Kingdom of Heaven. When we are born we are creatures of God. When we are baptized we are children of God. When we are confirmed we are servants of God sealed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirits. When we receive the Eucharist we are fully united with the Body and Blood Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Truly, we are temples of God when we receive the Eucharist. We cannot be worthy of being a temple without going through the proper initiation in preparation for the gifts God wishes to bestow on us.

Baptism means something. As Paul says in Galatians 3:26, “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” We put on Christ through the waters of Baptism. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit at Confirmation. We welcome Jesus into our Bodies through the Eucharist. What marvels and wonders that the Lord has given us! I was born a heathen, but I didn’t stay a heathen. Truly, I am a child of God. PRAISE THE LORD!