Friday, February 5, 2010

St. Augustine - We enter the kingdom of heaven through Baptism

St. Augustine was a Catholic, not some strange form of quasi-crypto-proto-incipient-Protestant, notwithstanding the fever dreams of those Protestants who try to claim him for themselves. And as a Catholic, he understood that Baptism is the way that we gain entry to God’s kingdom.

And hereby, in Your Word, not the depth of the sea, but the earth parted from the bitterness of the waters, brings forth not the creeping and flying creature that has life, but the living soul itself. For now has it no longer need of baptism, as the heathen have, and as itself had when it was covered with the waters—for no other entrance is there into the kingdom of heaven, since You have appointed that this should be the entrance [Confessions XIII.21, emphasis added]

Now if this be the case, then it is clear that Baptism actually does something to us and for us, and if that is the case, then it is clear that the sacraments work ex opere operato, as the Catholic Church teaches, and as St. Augustine obviously believed himself.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am Catholic and I have read the scriptures, the Holy Word of God and the Baptism that the Lord speaks of is being born again of Water and Spirit...which we can only do of our own accord. There are many baptized people out there that are not living the life...because they do not know how they are to live. Someone had them baptized as infants and failed to show them the "way." We must be born again...of our own will. "The flesh accounts for nothing..." Search the scriptures for this quote and you will see what I mean. It is the Spirit that gives life to our souls...the Spirit of TRUTH which is in the Word of God. The Spirit gives life to our weary souls. God Bless.

Anonymous said...

Hello Anon,

Sorry, but I don’t understand what your comment has to do with this post. Would you please clarify?

Thanks,

Fred