Theology: Infant Baptism

715 Words2 Pages

Peter Hoffmeister
Mr. Ott
Theology
May 5th, 2015
Baptism
On April 12 2015, I saw an infant Baptism at St. Clement of Rome Church at the 11am mass. I went to the mass that morning with my brother Christian. The other people that attended the baptism were the baby about to be baptized, the parents, godparents, and about twenty other people that were friends or family of the parents. The baptism happened after the mass so I explained to the family why I was there and assured them I wouldn’t ruin the baptism. We sat a couple rows behind the family. The baby was wearing the traditional white garments symbolizing purity.The priest then came up to where the family was standing on the right side of the church and started the ceremony. The priest then …show more content…

In the reading Peter tells us to repent, be baptized, and receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Even though the baby had not committed any sins, she still had original sin. Through baptism original sin is washed away and the baby was allowed to accept the grace of the Holy Spirit. The priest then asked the godparents if they would provide guidance and help the child grow in the church. The priest then said a prayer for the godparents and parents and for everyone who had gone before them. He anointed the baby’s head with oil making the sign of the cross while he did it. Through the water the sins were washed away and the baby was born to a new life in the church. Then everyone in the audience renewed their baptismal vows. The priest told everyone that the oil represented our call to be priests, prophets, and kings. The baby was then baptized at the at the baptismal fountain and sealed with the oil. The godfather took the baptismal candle and lit it from the Paschal candle representing that this child is sent from the church to be a light for the world. At the end of the ceremony we all said an …show more content…

With it being their first kid they had so much love and excitement for the child's introduction into the church. Grace’s godparents were also very excited to be a part of the child’s life. My parents have always sent me and my siblings to Catholic schools but we never really go to Mass. My own godparents are my Dad’s brother and my Mom’s sister. I used to be really close with my godmother Jean but with the combination of having her own kids and getting older we have grown apart. I’m still close with my godfather Mark but has moved to California and has a family of his own so now he is just someone I get to see four or five times a year. Lastly, I hope that when I am a parent or a godparent I can share the same excitement and love for bringing a child into the Catholic

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