Jan 10, 2010: Baptism of Our Lord

There are many ways to baptize a baby, and the most common that I'm familiar with is pouring water on the baby's head as I pronounce the words, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." There are other ways of baptizing a child, like total immersion. There are some precautions a priest needs to take before doing that, though. I watched a home video clip where a naked baby was immersed in the baptismal font, and immediately coming out of the water the baby boy began peeing.

One of the memorable baptisms that I've done here at Our Lady of Mercy is that of a baby boy. The family requested to expedite a baptism because of the health of the baby's great grand mother. At that baptism, the great grand mother was in the wheel chair, sitting weak with her hair lost to the chemotherapy. She smiled as her very first great grand child was baptized. Within a couple of months of that baptism, she passed away. And I presided at that funeral. I sprinkled her casket and said the following words: "In the waters of baptism she died with Christ and rose with him to new life. May she now share with him eternal glory." As the family placed the white pall over the casket, it reminded me of the white garment that was placed on her great grand baby. At the baptism, the priest says the following words as he places a white garment: "Dear child, you have become a new creation, and have clothed yourselves in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven."

Since most of the parents here have already been to baptism, let me ask you a couple of easy questions. What do you answer the priest at the baptism when he asks you, "Parents, what do you ask of God's Church for your child?" The answer should be, "Baptism." I know we don't ask this following question here in the States but it is asked in other countries. It is an easy question: "And what does Baptism grant us?". Take a guess? "Eternal life" Pope Benedict XVI has this to say: "And this is the marvellous reality: a human person, through Baptism, is integrated into Jesus' unique and singular relationship with the Father so that the words resonating from heaven upon the Only-Begotten Son may become true for every man and every woman who is reborn by water and by the Holy Spirit: you are my son, my beloved." The Pope says further, "Baptism is, so to speak, the bridge that he has built between him and us, the road by which he is accessible to us; it is the divine rainbow over our life, the promise of the great yes of God, the gateway to hope and, at the same time, the sign that indicates the road we must take in an active and joyous way to meet him and feel loved by him."

On Monday of this week, I was called to a nursing home to give the Last Rites to an elderly lady. A religious sister led me to the room where she was. A couple of her family members were present. She was laboring heavy breaths, and she seemed like she was ready to breathe her last. I began the prayer by sprinkling her with the Holy Water, saying, "May this Holy Water remind you of your own baptism. May you rise with Christ who baptized you." As I began to pray the Litany of Saints, she seemed as though she came alive. She made a Sign of the Cross and replied to my prayer, "Holy Mary Mother of God," with "Pray for us." As we began to pray the 'Our Father,' she mouthed out the words. Recalling this experience, the Pope's words echo in my heart, "Baptism is the divine rainbow over our life...the sign that indicates the road we must take in an active and joyous way to meet him and feel loved by him." So take Pope's words to heart. He says, "Dear friends, how great is the gift of Baptism! If we were to take this fully into account our lives would become a continual "thank you".