Baptism as the Beginning of the Path to Moral Perfection in One’s Personal and Social Life

Abstract

The Christian moral life can be compared to a path marked out by particular stages. The beginning of this path is no less important than its end, which is perfection in the temporal dimension and salvation in the ultimate spiritual dimension. Contrary to popular opinion, the beginning of the path is not associated with an individual’s personal desire to be perfect; rather, it is a gift from God, who accompanies man throughout his entire life and needs his free response. Among the many gifts that God imparts to man, man receives essential gifts in the sacrament of Baptism. These gifts constitute the subject of moral action itself; they interiorly form man without determining his actions absolutely or depriving him of his freedom. A “new,” free, and responsible action, the fruit of which is man’s perfection as an individual and as a member of a natural and supernatural society, flows from this interior transformation. The basic character of the gifts of the sacrament of Baptism is that they are the source itself of a specifically Christian morality and not just an ordinary aid in the moral life.