Baptism is the sacrament that makes a person a member of the Church. What Baptism does is it washes away original sin and makes a person part of the Body of Christ. It unites us with Jesus.
Form The form of Baptism is the words said by the minister when the sacrament is being performed. In Baptism, a member of the clergy, or in an emergency, lay person, says the words, "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." These words must be said or else the baptism is not valid.
Matter The matter is the physical elements that are required for the sacrament. The matter for Baptism is water, the person being baptized, and the person performing the Baptism. The water does not have to be blessed in an emergency; ordinary tap water or salt water can also be used.
Minister The minister is someone who performs the rite of the sacrament. In Baptism, the minister can be an ordinary minister or an extraordinary minister. An ordinary minister is an ordained member of the clergy, like a deacon, priest, or bishop. An extraordinary minister is anyone who performs Baptism in case of an emergency, as long as they do it correctly with the right intentions. An extraordinary minister is only needed if a person could possibly die before getting baptized.
Rite The immersion or sprinkling of water onto the recipient as the minister says, "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
I was baptized on October 21, 2001 in St. Rose of Lima Church.