253. The finality of Baptism
253. THE FINALITY OF BAPTISM
Two sacraments are received many times: the Eucharist and Confession. The others are usually received only once: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction. Why is Baptism in the second class?
Baptism cannot be reiterated.
First, because Baptism is a spiritual regeneration. . . . Now one man can be begotten but once. Wherefore Baptism cannot be reiterated, just as neither can carnal generation. . . .
Secondly, because we are baptized in Christ’s death, by which we die unto sin and rise again unto newness of life (Rom 6:3-4). Now Christ died but once (vs. 10). Wherefore neither should Baptism be reiterated. . . .
Thirdly, because Baptism imprints a character which is indelible. . . . Augustine says:. . . We see that not even apostates are deprived of Baptism (after their apostasy), since when they repent and return they are not baptized anew (III,66,9).
The suffering of the passion of Christ is communicated to the one who is baptized inasmuch as he becomes a member of Christ, as if he himself had borne that pain, and therefore all his sins are remitted through the pain of Christ’s passion (III, 69, 2 ad 1).
As God created the world only once, “in the beginning”, we are physically born only once. This applies both to physical birth (to bios, or natural life) and spiritual birth (to zoe, or supernatural life). In Baptism we are “born again” “of water and the (Holy) Spirit” (Jn 3:5). This happens just once because the spiritual life we are born into is forever. It needs to be strengthened many times by Eucharistic food, and cleansed many times by sacramental Confession, but it comes into existence once and for all at Baptism. Beginnings are unique.
St. Thomas’ second reason concerns how Baptism conforms us to Christ, Who died once for all and rose once for all. We are baptized not just in imitation of Christ but we are baptized “into” Christ. So we too die (spiritually, to sin) and rise (into new life, into the very life of Christ in our soul) once for all.
St. Thomas’ third reason—that “Baptism imprints a character which is indelible”—should give us great hope for baptized Catholics who have “lost the Faith”. Since once you are baptized you are always baptized; since Baptism really changes you forever; since it “imprints a character which is indelible”; there remains even in the apostate who has been baptized a reality that is not present in one who has not been baptized. This “mark” that Baptism has placed indelibly on the soul is like a magnet drawing us home. For Christ promised that He would “draw all men to Myself” (Jn 12:32).
One might say that this mark is like a brand on cattle, if this analogy did not sound insulting. It is insulting because cattle have no free will. Christ “draws” men to Himself, but He does not force them. It’s not magic. Free will is preserved. But real drawing power remains there. To use a slightly better image than the owner’s brand on a cow, Baptism is like our Owner’s name on our dog tag. Even when we are lost, something in us tells us where our home is. For once we are baptized, the identity of Christ, if not the life of Christ, is forever in our soul in some way. Christ is not only outside us but also inside us, even when we are outside Him. Even mortal sin, which is the rejection of Him, is defined by Him and points back to Him as the One rejected. It is His negative image, like a silhouette, that remains in the soul even when He is rejected. The road map is still in the car even when the car is off the road.