Baby Ben’s Baptism

We recently celebrated Ben’s baptism.  The little man was six months old, and so it was time to celebrate his life with our family. It turned out to be a really lovely day, and I think baby Ben soaked up all the love and peace.

Baptism means different things to different people.  I don’t believe that babies have any sin that needs to be washed away. I don’t think God will shun them if they aren’t baptized. I don’t believe that we would be bad parents if we chose to skip this sacrament.

However, I do believe that baptism is a way for us to commune with our ancestors; it is an ancient ritual that ties us to our roots and reminds us where we came from. I believe baptism points us in the right direction, and I believe it is a day to let God know just how grateful we are for our babies. With all that in mind, it was a day I really looked forward to for all four of my kids!

Ben was so alert during the short ceremony. He watched the priest intently, smiled at his admirers in the pews and offered me wet kisses on my chin. As I held him on my lap, he felt so strong and alive. My pride and love for my little man swelled. What a special day for him and me!

Perhaps the best part of the day? Ben learned to clap! Now, whenever I say “yay!” or “clap your hands!” he proudly pats his little paws together.


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2 Comments for this entry

  1. Jessie Jay says:

    I will never understand why families that do not attend church bother to have their children baptized. They make false promises about raising the child in the Catholic faith in front of the priest and their family, then never set foot in a church again!

    • Maureen says:

      Thanks for your comment, Jessie. I have to respectfully disagree with you. Not because we don’t attend church (we do), but because it doesn’t matter to me what other people are doing in their own spiritual lives. Ones relationship to God – and the earthly institutions that honor God – is so intensely personal and it isn’t up to me to pass judgement on other’s motivations, needs or desires.

      If Catholics believe that baptism saves a soul, then we should do everything we can to get as many babies through the door, regardless of what their parents do! Further, baptism gives little ones a foundation that they can later choose to build upon, even if their parents never took them to church. Baptism is about the next generation, not the already established ones.

      Thanks!

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