Baptism

To have your infant or child baptized at St. James, schedule a Pre-Baptism Class before the birth of your baby by calling Daniela Morales at 234-5536. Classes are held every other month.

What is baptism? The origin and foundation of Christian Baptism is Jesus. Before starting his public ministry, Jesus submitted himself to the baptism given by John the Baptist. The waters did not purify him; he cleansed the waters. "He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake...  to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water"       (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Liturgy of the Hours, I, 634).

Jesus' immersion in the water is a sign for all human beings of the need to die to themselves to do God's will. Jesus did not need to be baptized because he was totally faithful to the will of his Father and free from sin. However, he wanted to show his solidarity with human beings in order to reconcile them to the Father. By commanding his disciples to baptize all nations, he established the means by which people would die to sin - Original and actual - and begin to live a new life with God.