THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (50pts) ~ Pt.19: Baptism & Confirmation

"Who can receive Baptism? Well, every person who is not yet baptized.. and only such a person is able to be baptized. We know that there are three Sacraments that imprint an indelible mark.. a seal.. a character, on the Soul.. Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. So only someone who hasn't been baptized before can be baptized. Number 1250..'Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called.50 The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth.' Confirmation, also one of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation, we'll begin on number 1285.. 'Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "sacraments of Christian initiation," whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. For "by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed.' Confirmation completes Baptism and it perpetuates the Grace of Pentecost in the Church. What happened at Pentecost? The Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles and the Blessed Mother, and what happened? .. Remember what they were like?.. they were afraid, the doors were locked, they were afraid of the persecution of the Jews who would get the Romans after them, they were afraid, they weren't 'boldly proclaiming' the Lord Jesus.. but then at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came.. how did He come?.. He came as a 'driving wind and as tongues of fire'.. the Holy Spirit was given as 'no cowardly Spirit'.. He's a Spirit of Power and Might, a Spirit of Courage, and if you're filled with the Holy Spirit you're filled with a Spirit which gives you power to give witness.. you're not afraid.. you'll stand up to the whole world if necessary and proclaim 'JESUS CHRIST IS LORD'.. and if you have to die for it so much the better!" www.facebook.com/Father Corapi Catholic Channel