I recently saw an acquaintance at Mass whom I’ve never seen at our church before. She was waiting near the sacristy and was holding her infant, so I was pretty sure she was meeting with our pastor to discuss baptism.
When I next saw this woman, she began to tell me that our pastor is strongly suggesting that they return to Mass before baptizing the baby. Her negative tone of voice and body language makes me certain that she was expecting me to commiserate with her situation.
A few months ago, when my husband John and I were assisting at a parish baptism prep classes, we were talking about how important weekly Mass attendance has been for forming our family in the faith. After which, the couple actually told us straight out that they did not intend to come to Mass.
Each time I hear a story like this, I wonder why parents request baptism if they have no plans to follow through on practicing the faith?
Smarter minds than mine are studying this. And I’m sure there are as many reasons as there are families. Whatever the reason, I’m glad that people are still making the choice for their children to have the sacraments.
But in many ways we have lost the understanding of what is happening during our sacraments.
I think for many people, the sacraments have become merely a cultural or family tradition, something expected of you. We have forgotten, or maybe never knew, the supernatural events that transpire during baptism and each of the sacraments.
These beautiful religious rites, which bestow God’s grace, His very life, into our own, have become devoid of meaning, treated as any other milestone in a child’s life, much like a first birthday.
We see only a ceremony, while there is something so far beyond our comprehension occurring right before our eyes.
This past Sunday, January 12th, we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord. Personally, this is one of my favorite scenes of the Gospels, because all three Persons of the Holy Trinity are manifested together.
Here is the text from the Gospel of Matthew:
After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17
This is the reality of what happens when every person is baptized. We now take part in the divine life of the Trinity. As we come out of the water, the Father says of each of us: “This is my beloved son/daughter, with whom I am well pleased.”
At our baptism, each of us becomes an adopted child of God.
Just think on that reality – the Eternal Father calls you his son or daughter.
First, think about how much human parents love their children. Now imagine that that love is perfect. That is what each of us is offered in our baptism, Perfect Love.
Can a mother forget her infant,
Isaiah 49:15-16
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you.
See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you
This is my daughter. This is my son…with whom I am well pleased.
You are His daughter or son – not just another creation, not just a number.
You are lovable and pleasing to Him – not forgotten or left alone.
In this sacrament, the Father claims us. And through the sacrament, He gives us sanctifying grace:
” enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues; giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit; allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues. (CCC 1266)“
But then what? We have been adopted, but it is our job to grow into that relationship.
Baptism is the sacrament of faith. But faith needs the community of believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop…
For all the baptized, children or adults, faith must grow after Baptism…
For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parents’ help is important. So too is the role of the godfather and godmother, who must be firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized – child or adult on the road of Christian life.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1253-55
How many of our children don’t step foot into their Father’s house again until they are seven years old for another sacrament?
How many of us have had this experience? Which of us were those children?
If we only ever spent time with our Father once every couple years at the celebration of the sacraments, would we actually know Him?
How many of us as adults have chosen not to maintain our relationship with our Father?
You see, God the Father doesn’t want to be an absentee parent. And He doesn’t want us to be alone in this world. He wants to be our gentle, loving Dad! He has given us everything and will continue to give us all that we could possibly need, as any good Father.
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him.
Matthew 7:11
But, let us remember, this is a relationship, a two way street. We need to give of ourselves also. Let us live our daughter-ship and son-ship. After all, “You received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father! (Romans 8:15)”
So why don’t we give Him the little that we can offer to build this relationship – our attention, time and love? Especially, and most importantly, at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which He pours out His love for us in the sacrifice of His Only Begotten Son, and our Brother, Jesus Christ.
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