"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them the commands I gave to you." Matthew 28:19-20

The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. It is the foundation of the whole Christian life, opening the door to the reception of the remaining sacraments. Through this sacrament the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the recipient. They are also freed from sin and adopted as a son or daughter of God being enabled to call him Father. Through Baptism, (which comes from the Greek word baptizein, meaning to plunge or immerse the individual, be they adult or infant,) they become member of Christ and are incorporated into his Church, sharing its mission to spread the Good News in the daily circumstances of their lives.

Water is used in the conferral of this sacrament, hence the font which is found in all Catholic and other Christian churches. This is why it is sometimes called "the washing of regeneration renewal by the Holy Spirit", because it signifies and brings about the profound change that takes place in the one baptised and without which one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. For as Jesus said to his friend Nicodemus:

"Unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:5).

For further reading see: The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Articles 1213 - 1284.

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