As parents, you rightly rejoice in the birth of your child. God has
blessed you with the precious gift of a child and now you want nothing short of
the best for him or her. In requesting your child for Baptism, you are
formally requesting his/her entry into God's family. The local Christian
community or parish is God's family as far as each of us is concerned.
Hence, it is fitting that the baptism of your child should take place in your
own parish church with as many people as possible present to welcome the new
Christian.
Through the Sacrament of Baptism, your child will become a child of God and a
sharer in his life. Baptism marks the beginning of this new life. It
is the first step. At the very beginning of the ceremony, you will be
addressed as follows:
Parents, you have asked to have your child baptised. In doing so, you
are accepting a responsibility for training this child in the practice of the
faith. It will be your duty to bring the child up to keep God's
commandments, as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbour. Do you
understand clearly what you are undertaking?
The decision to have your baby baptised must come only after serious
consideration. Why? Baptism does not end once the celebration is
over. Nor, as we have seen above, is baptism something which pertains to
the child alone: the parents are involved. It is through them that
the child will come to know the love of God. It is through them that the
child will learn to go beyond the family circle and become involved with the
larger community.
Choosing Godparents
Often here, culture is taken into account: for some, it is a deep and
life-long bond, for others merely a passing honour. During the ceremony,
the godparents are asked: "Are you ready to help these parents in
their duties as Christian parents?" No shallow question
... no small responsibility. In choosing, you are looking for a
mature member of the Catholic Church, one who has received the Sacraments of
Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist) and has attained the age of 16
years.
It ought to be:
1. that at least one godparent is nominated
2. that the godparent(s) be present so that they can make their commitment
publicly
3. that they be examples to the child of what Christian life is.
Parents and Godparents, keep the flame of faith alive in the heart of your
child and when the Lord comes, may you go out to meet Him. (Final
exhortation in the Rite of Baptism)
