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 When a person is presented for baptism, the priest meets him at the door of the Church, to denote, that as he is not as yet of the number of the faithful, he has no right to enter into that sacred place; and there, after asking what he demands from the Church, and telling him the conditions on which the demand will be granted, he proceeds to prepare him for receiving it as follows:

By BAPTISM WE RECEIVE A NEW AND SPIRITUAL LIFE.

First, He breathes upon him, and says, Depart from me, thou unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Ghost the Comforter. This ceremony is taken from the example of God himself, who having ''formed man of the slime of the earth, he breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul," Gen. ii. 7; and from the example of Jesus Christ who when communicating to his Apostles the Holy Ghost, he breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," John xx. 22. And it signifies, that by baptism we receive a new and spiritual life by grace through the operation of the Holy Ghost, who is given to us, and makes us his temples.

Second, He makes the sign of the cross upon the forehead, and upon the breast, because God ordered all those that belonged to him to have "the mark Thou set upon their foreheads," Ezek. ix. 4. which is "the seal of the living God," Rev. vii. 2; and denotes that the person who receives it begins now to be one of the flock of Jesus Christ, and will, by the Sacrament of Baptism, soon be admitted to his fold, according to that of our Savior, "other sheep I have who are not of this fold,
them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd," John x. 36. Now, this sacred sign is planted on the forehead, to show, that after baptism we should never be ashamed of the cross of Christ, nor afraid to profess his doctrine; and is implanted on the breast, near the heart, to show that we should love the cross of Christ, and cheerfully submit to bear whatever portion of it he shall be pleased afterwards to lay upon us; being assured, that, "if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him," 2. Tim.
ii. 12.

By BAPTISM WE ARE SOLEMNLY DEDICATED AND CONSECRATED TO GOD.

Third, He puts a little blessed salt into the person's mouth, saying, Receive the salt of wisdom; may it be unto thee a propitiation unto life everlasting. The ceremony is taken from a command of God in the old law, which says, "Whatsoever sacrifice thou offerest, thou shalt season it with salt," Lev. ii. 13. Because salt is an emblem of wisdom or discretion, without which none of our actions are agreeable to God; and Christ himself says, "Have salt in you," Mark ix. 49, meaning
that heavenly wisdom of which he says, "Be ye, therefore, wise as serpents, and simple as doves," Matth. x. 16. This ceremony therefore, denotes that by baptism we are solemnly dedicated and consecrated to God, as a sacrifice and oblation to his holy will; and that we ought ever after to preserve our souls from the corruption of sin, by the salt of the heavenly wisdom, by which alone we ought to regulate our whole life and conversation. Now our Savior proposes the wisdom of this serpent as an emblem of the wisdom of a Christian, because, as that animal, (according to what St. Chrysostom tells us,) when pursued by its enemies, uses all care to preserve its head, whatever becomes of the rest of its body; so the wisdom of the gospel teaches us to be only solicitous for the salvation of our souls, and ready to part with every thing else rather than to lose our souls, according to that of our Savior, 4 i What will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his, own
soul!" Mark viii. 36.

BY BAPTISM WE ENTER THE CHURCH OF GOD.

Fourth, The priest proceeds to the exorcisms, by which, in the name of Jesus Christ, and through the merits of his death upon the cross (the sign of which is here frequently made upon the person to be baptized) he commands the devil to depart from the soul, whom God has chosen to be admitted to the grace of baptism, and orders him to give place to the Holy Ghost, who comes to take possession of him and make him his temple. This he does in consequence of that power over unclean spirits, which Jesus Christ left to the pastors of his church, to whom he "gave power over unclean spirits to cast them out," Matth. x. 1; or as St. Mark expresses it, "he gave them power to cast out devils," Mark iii. 15; and St. Luke, "He gave them power and author- ity over all devils," Luke ix. 1. By this means, the person being prepared to be admitted into the Church, as one delivered in a great meas-
ure, from the power of Satan, and belonging to Jesus Christ, the priest introduces him into that part of the church where the baptismal font is, saying, Enter into the Church of God, that thou mayest have part with Christ unto everlasting life. And while they are proceeding to the font, the priest, together with the person to be baptized, (or his godfather and godmother, if he be a child) recite with an audible voice, the apostles' creed, and the Lord's prayer, to show that it is only by true faith in Jesus Christ that we are entitled to enter into His Church and become members of it.

Fifth, Then the priest recites another exorcism, and at the end of it touches the ear and nostrils of the person to be baptized with a little spittle, saying, Ephpheta, that is, be thou opened into an odor of sweetness; but be thou put to flight, 0 Devil, for the judgment of God will be at hand. This ceremony is taken from the example of Jesus Christ, who when they had brought to him "one that was deaf and dumb— taking him aside from the multitude, he put his fingers into his ears; and spitting, he touched his tongue, and— said to him, Ephpheta, that is, be thou opened; and immediately his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke right, Mark vii. 32; and by it is signified, that, as Jesus Christ, by this ceremony, cured the deaf and dumb man, so, by the grace of baptism, the ears of our soul are opened, to hear the word of God, and the inspirations of his Holy Spirit; and that obeying his holy will manifested to us by this means, we become "an odor of sweetness, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God," Philip, iv. 18; and likewise, by our good example, "a good odor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish," 2 Cor. ii. 15. These are the ceremonies which go before baptism, and which are, as it were, a preparation for it.



THE SACRED OBLIGATION OF BAPTISM.

Q. What are the ceremonies that accompany the sacramental action?

A. As baptism is a covenant between God and the soul, there are two essential conditions required on our part to prepare us for receiving it, to renounce for ever, the devil and the world, and to adhere to Jesus Christ by faith; wherefore, being now arrived at the sacred font, First, The person to be baptized, (or his godfather and godmother, in his name) makes a solemn renunciation of the devil, and all his works and pomps, declaring, that he renounces, for ever, the service of the devil, and that he detests all the maxims and vanities of the world, which are the pomps of the devil, and that he abhors all sin, which are his works; that he embraces the service of Jesus Christ, and vows and promises to adhere constantly to the maxims and rules of his gospel, and to continue his faithful disciple. This is the sacred obligation in which we engage at baptism, this is the solemn promise
we make, upon the keeping of which our eternal life so much depends.

Second, Then the priest anoints him with holy oil on the breast and between the shoulders, making the sign of the cross, and saying, I anoint thee with the oil of salvation, in Christ Jesus our Lord, that thou mayest have life everlasting. This ceremony is taken from the example of what God did in the. old law, where he commanded, that all those things which immediately regarded his service and were to be sanctified for that end, and consecrated, should be anointed with holy oil; as is declared in the' thirtieth and fortieth chapters of Exodus, where he says, "And thou shalt consecrate all with the oil of unction, that they may be most holy, Exod. xl, 11. Now, the outward unction with oil is an emblem of the inward grace of the Holy Ghost, which sanctifies the soul; for, as oil gives light, warms, cures wounds, and strengthens weak parts, so the grace of the Holy Ghost enlightens the
understanding, inflames the heart, cures the wounds of the soul, and strengthens its weakness. Hence of our Savior it is said, that "God anointed him With the Holy Ghost," Acts x. 38. And St John says to his disciples, "You have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things,' 9 1 John ii. 20. This ceremony, therefore, signifies, that the person to be baptized, having renounced the devil and undertaken to fight manfully against him, will receive a plenteous grace from the
Holy Ghost in baptism, to direct him in this warfare, to assist him and strengthen him to resist all his spiritual enemies; and, at the same time, is consecrated to God by this Holy unction for this purpose. He is therefore anointed on the breast, to show that this grace will fortify his breast with great courage and resolution; and between the shoulders, to show that the grace of baptism will sweeten the yoke of Christ, and make the burden of his commands light, easy, and even delightful
to him.

Third, The priest interrogates the person to be baptized concerning his faith in the blessed Trinity, and in the incarnation and death of our Savior; because our Savior says, "he that believes and is baptized shall be saved," Mark xvi.; to show that faith is a previous disposition necessarily required before baptism; which, as children cannot actually have themselves, their godfathers and godmothers answer for them, with the obligation of seeing them instructed in the faith, when they come to an age capable of it. Lastly, The priest inquires if the person be willing to be baptized, because none can receive baptism against their will; and getting his consent, he immediately baptizes him t and thus administers the sacrament.


CEREMONIES USED AFTER BAPTISM.

Q. What are the ceremonies used after baptism?

A. First, The new Christian is immediately anointed on the crown of the head with holy chrism, in imitation of the anointing of kings and priests by God's command in the old law; and signifies that royal priesthood, to which we are raised by baptism, according to that of St. Peter, "you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation," 1 Pet. ii. 9.

Second, lie is clothed with a white garment, as an emblem of the spotless innocence with which his soul is adorned; and the priest, when he puts it on him, prays that he may carry it unstained before the Judgment-seat of Christ.

Third, A lighted candle is put into his hand, as an emblem of the light of good example, which he is obliged to give by obeying the commands of Cod, according to what our Savior says, "so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven," Math. v. 16. While the priest gives him this candle, he exhorts him to preserve this baptism and keep the
commands of God free from stain.

Fourth, The priest then gives him his leave to depart in peace.

source: The manual of the holy Catholic Church by Fr. James J. McGovern 1906