Either word is a correct term for the sacrament. The word baptism, which comes from the Greek and means “to immerse,” emphasizes the external action of ritual cleansing. The word christening, often used colloquially for the baptism of infants, refers to the spiritual effects of the sacrament, in which the grace imparted gives Christ to the newly baptized individual: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27).
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