Think about the various groups you belong to, for example family, class, school, parish, sports team, or club. What responsibilities do you have as a group member?

 

You belong to a special group, the Catholic Church. From the day of our baptism we became members of this community. For most of us, our parents asked for us to be baptised as very young children, and the community welcomed us into the Church family. Our family and friends gathered to celebrate our becoming a member.

• What does it mean to be a Child of God? What are some of your responsibilities as a member of God’s family, the Catholic community?

We become members of our church by receiving three Sacraments of Initiation.  These sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.

We receive grace in these sacraments.  Grace means gift.  We receive the gift of sharing God’s life and love in these sacraments.
 
At your First Communion, you will receive the Eucharist for the first time. It welcomes you to receive the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist.
 
Communion means “Common-Union” – meaning we come together and are joined as members of the Body of Christ.
 
As Catholics, we celebrate the Eucharist every time we gather for Mass. This is the most important way we practice being Catholic because we gather with other people who believe the same thing we do.  We listen to God’s Word and eat the meal of bread and wine so that we are nourished to live the way God wants us to.

SIGNS OF BELONGING TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 
Sign of the Cross - When we use the sign of the cross in prayers in daily life and at Mass, we are making a statement about who we are and who we belong to. When we are baptized, we are signed with the sign of the cross by the priest, parents, and godparents. Once we are Baptized, we use the sign of the cross over and over again to remind ourselves who we are.

• Claimed and loved by God… No matter what. 
• The cross tells us that we belong to Christ and our belonging is not based on our accomplishments. We are important, no matter what.
• The cross symbolizes God’s love for us and that God wants us to live a life for others.

 
 

SYMBOLS OF BAPTISM

Water – The story of Jesus’ baptism is found in all four Gospels, signaling what an important event Jesus’ Baptism was.

• When Jesus goes down into the water and he comes up, God declares him “my beloved Son.” In the Sacrament of Baptism, we, too, are claimed as sons and daughters of God.

 
Oil – In our lives, oil is used to strengthen (as a source of nutrition), protect (as a lubricant in machines), and heal (as a medical salve).

• In the sacrament of Baptism, oil is a sign of being anointed by the Holy Spirit, our spiritual source of strength, protection, and healing.

 
White Garment – For special occasions in our lives, we wear particular types of clothing, partly to reflect our own personal style.

• In Baptism, the newly baptized are given a white garment, which symbolizes that the person has “put on Christ”.
• The garment is white, reflecting the purity of being cleansed of sin.

 
Light – In the celebration of Baptism, a candle is lit from the Paschal (Easter) candle and given to each newly baptized person.

• The lighted candle signifies that Christ those who are baptized become the “light of the world.”
• It is the light of Christ that guides our lives as Christians, and we are called to bring that light of Christ to our world by being Christ-like in our daily lives.

 
The assembly is another important symbol in the sacrament of Baptism…It means the congregation or the Christian community.

• Baptism can only happen as part of the community of believers.
• The people in the pews are as important to the celebration as the parents and Godparents. This is why we at Sacred Heart now celebrate Baptisms during regular Mass.

• When we see a Baptism at Mass, we promise to support the person being baptized.

 
Naming – In Baptism, the names of those being Baptized are called.

• This “naming” calls each of us to be children of God.
• We receive a new name in baptism, too: “Christian”. The priest or deacon states the name of the child and says “the Christian community welcomes you with great joy. In its name I claim you for Christ Jesus.”