Pope Francis began a new cycle of catecheses on baptism, explaining that it is the door to the other sacraments, whereby we grow in the life of grace until we come at last to our true homeland in heaven.
He also asked that Christians “appreciate the unmerited gift” they received on the day of their baptism. The pope also reminded that the Christian life is a journey of faith and union with the Lord, sustained by prayer and daily efforts to grow in the imitation of Christ.
SUMMARY OF POPE'S CATECHESIS
Dear brothers and sisters:
In the joy of this Easter season, we now begin a new cycle of catecheses on the sacrament of Baptism, by which we receive the forgiveness of sin and are reborn to new and eternal life in Christ. Through the waters of Baptism, sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we are immersed in the saving mystery of the Lord’s death and resurrection, and become, in Christ, adoptive sons and daughters of God our Father. Renewed in the image of Christ, the new Adam, we are called to acknowledge his Lordship in our lives and to share in the mission of the Church, his Body, for the transformation of our world. Baptism is the door to the other sacraments, whereby we grow in the life of grace until we come at last to our true homeland in heaven.
Our Christian life, as a journey of faith and union with the Lord, is sustained by prayer and by our daily efforts to grow in the imitation of Christ. During this Easter season, may we come to appreciate ever more fully the unmerited gift we received on the day of our Baptism, and resolve to live faithfully the new life we have received in Christ.
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, particularly those from England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia and the United States of America. I offer a particular welcome to the representatives of the British All Parliamentary Group on the Holy See. In the joy of the Risen Christ, I invoke upon you and your families the loving mercy of God our Father. May the Lord bless you all!
