Anglican Baptism, like Holy Communion, is known as a sacrament, or an outward visible celebration of an inward spiritual gift. It is the start of the Christian journey, where one makes a commitment to a life centred on Jesus Christ; that is, the belief in his saving sacrifice for the good of the world, and the emulation of his ministry and teaching. Water is used as a symbol of cleansing from sin, or all that does not make for a wholesome and compassionate life. As it says in the Gospel of John, we are refreshed and born anew into a spiritual discipline after the example of Christ. Holy oil is applied to the forehead in the sign of the Cross, as a symbol of Jesus the Good Shepherd marking a new sheep of the flock in the name of God his Father; just as we accept him through the verbal promises we, parents or our sponsors make, we become God’s own forever. The Christian life is not an easy one, but it is a rewarding one, and one lived in community.