Baptism As Both Sign and Symbol Throughout the course of organized religion both present and past, ritualistic acts of praise and worship have been practiced as a sign of both love and honor to God. Catholicism refers to these rituals as sacraments. As Christians and members of this faith, the first sacrament received by each member is Baptism. This sacrament has not only been practiced since the beginning of our faith, but has deep meaning and symbolic ties to the start of creation with Adam and Eve. I hope to prove through both illustration and published works how Baptism as a sacrament is both a sign and symbol of humanities desire to become closer to God by cleansing them of original sin through this ritual and rite of passage.
The symbol of community can be seen and felt only through such an intimate event such as this which brings us closer to our ultimate destiny as disciples of God. With knowledge of why and how we are baptized, the next quest in understanding this holy sacrament would to justify its necessity in our faith. The Catholic Encyclopedia goes in depth on such a topic. “Theologians distinguish a twofold necessity which they call a necessity of means and a necessity of precept. The first indicates a thing to be necessary that, if lacking salvation cannot be attained. The second is had when a thing is indeed so necessary that it may not be omitted voluntarily without sin.” (Nelson) The twofold theory can be broken down and used in showing how baptism is both sign and symbol of Christ. The discussion of necessity of means demonstrates how through Jesus’ own actions and words of how we can attain salvation through such acts as baptism prove this notion just. In turn, being that this sacrament deals with original sin, it being a necessity of precept is also valid. This is due to the fact that we as Catholics believe to knowingly disobey the will of God is to sin. As seen in Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you