“For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Galatians 3:26-27
The word Baptism comes from the Greek and means to submerge. Baptism is the sacrament through which man is born into the spiritual life, through water and the invocation of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It symbolizes the believer's spiritual identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Believers do it today in the same way that Jesus Christ was baptized with water by John the Baptist.
“And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' ” Acts 2:38
When he is submerged under water, the Christian testifies that he was a sinner and when he comes out of the water he states that he is no longer the same person. There are three purposes of Baptism.
First is the obedience of God's mandate. Baptism does not grant salvation but rather the approval of the Lord. Second, give testimony as a believer. In this way we achieve an identity in Jesus and the Church. And lastly, be recognized as a member of a local church. This sense of belonging enhances our direct relationship with God.
“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” Romans 6:3
Water is a symbol that is central to this sacrament. The love of God is poured out over the baptized person as an inexhaustible source of love.
Water means purification, removing the power of death, spiritual fecundity, unconditional adoption and new birth. The baptized person is anointed twice during the ritual: once with oil and once with chrism. The father or the godfather lights the candle in the Paschal candle. This candle represents that every person is a hope for the world.
“And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” Mark 14:22-24
The first communion is a sacramental ritual performed by the Catholic Church by in which a person, usually a minor, participates for the first time in the sacrament of the Eucharist receiving communion (receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ), it is a mandatory requirement to be received before the sacrament of baptism and confession.
“Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.' ” John 6:35
The First Communion is an act of Faith in Jesus Christ by the believer that entails a series of future commitments for the communicant: namely, to continue to participate in the sacrament of communion and also confession as many times as possible.
Likewise, it is expected that all his actions will be in accordance to his Faith and that the actions in his life may honor the communion he has achieved with Jesus Christ.