Welcome
The first thing the priest does is he welcomes the child and the parents at the door of the church and takes them down to the baptismal font.
The priest asks the parents and godparents if they are willing to bring up the child as a Christian. When they say ‘yes’ the priest welcomes and names the child and says “I claim you for Christ our saviour by the sign of his cross”. The sign of the cross is a symbol that the child now belongs to God.
The Celebration of the Word of God
The priest will read a number of readings from the bible that stress the importance of this sacrament. One of the following may be read out to highlight the significance and meaning of this sacrament
- The Baptism of Jesus
- Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (John 3)
- Paul’s letter to the Romans.
After the readings the ‘bidding prayers’ or the ‘prayers of the faithful’ are said. They are said for the child, parents and the godparents.
The exorcism and anointing
At this point the baby is exorcised (this means that all evil is expelled from the child’s body). After this has taken place the first anointing is administered, the baby is now anointed with the oil of catechumens. This oil is a sign of strength and healing and it shows that the candidate now has the power of Christ. The child is now free from its original sin.
Baptismal promises-A declaration of faith
The child is brought up to the font (Animation of the priest blessing the water). The water is then blessed and the priest asks the parents and Godparents to renew their baptismal promises. The priest asks very simple questions like “Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth?” and then they answer, “I do”. This shows that the parents and godparents intend to take this commitment seriously.
The Baptism
The priest pours holy water over the front of the babies’ head three times and says the following:
“[Childs name] I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.
The Anointing with Chrism
The baby is anointed a second time, this time it is with the oil of chrism, which is put on the child’s forehead. This oil is used for a number of reasons; firstly it consecrates the child to God. This is a sign that the child has been chosen for a special task in life.
Clothing with the white garment
At this point a white garment is put around the child. This garment is a sign that the child is innocent and pure. White is also a symbol of new life and it shows that the candidate has started off a new life in Christ.
The Baptismal candle
A candle is given to one of the parents who lights it from the great Paschal candle
Which reminds us that Jesus rose from the dead. It is used in baptism to show that the candidate has received the light of Christ.
Conclusion at the altar
The congregation say the ‘Our Father’ together and the child now belongs to the family of God and can call God His father. Then there are three blessings after to finish the ceremony.
Believers Baptism
“Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also need of new birth in baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly to them.”
Catechism 1250
If someone was not baptised as a child they can be baptised later on in life, this is called a believers baptism. This type of Baptism is very similar to Jesus’ own baptism. An adult makes the decision to be baptised and attends a series of classes to prepare themselves for this event. It is important that they attend the classes so that they fully understand the commitment that they are about to make. The candidate is usually dressed in a white gown and is fully immersed which means to dip the person in to water. They believe that when they get baptised it will get rid of the sin they had when they were born and after you get baptised this will be a new start of life. They think that when you are born and your parents are considering getting you baptised that they are making the decision for you and that it has nothing to do with the child. So people will wait until they become an adult, so that they will be able to make your own decision. If you wait until you can make the decision at least you will be able to make the promises rather than your parents making them for you.
Even today most people in the catholic church think that infant baptism is the traditional method, but some people think that believers baptism is better because they get to make the promises themselves which people think is very important. The preparation for baptism occurs in a very important place.
RE COURSEWORK
Skill A02 - Explain the meaning and significance of baptism for Christians today
The meaning and significance of baptism today is the same as it has always been since its conception. We are being welcomed into the community of Christ’s church. It is a sacrament of initiation. “Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ. Therefore we are members one of another…Baptism incorporates us into the church.”
Our families are first groups to which we belong. When babies are born they become part of a family. Usually the birth of a new baby is an occasion of happiness and joy for the family. Parents want the best of everything for their children. They want their children to enjoy the things in life that they themselves have found enjoyable. They want to give their child all opportunities that have helped them in their own lives.
Parents who belong to the church want their children also to be part of the Church. They want their children to work to build up the church community in their own parish, to build up the church community means this is the first stage of the initiation process into the belief community. As well as being part of their own family they want their child to grow up as a member of God’s family. They want their child to come to know God’s love and care. They hope that their child will learn to love God in return. They want their child to get to know Jesus, to listen to the things he said and to learn to live as he encouraged us to.
When a child is born it is born with original sin but when you get the child baptised people believe that the child is now free from sin, the priest does this by pouring water over the child’s head to wash the sins away. The sign is a symbol of new life and growth that is taking place in the heart of the child. The child is now freed from all evil.
Baptism is the first of the seven sacraments that you receive but it is not the only one you receive. The seven sacraments are Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Reconciliation, Marriage, Holy Orders and Anointing of the Sick. These seven sacraments are all very important stages of Christian Life.
RE COURSEWORK
Skill A03 – “Baptising babies is pointless”
Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view.
I agree with this statement but I have some points that I disagree with. If you are being baptised as a child from then you belong to the Christian community as soon as you are baptised but when I look at the other side of the agreement I think that you should get baptised at the age of 15 or 16 years old at least then you fully understand the ceremony, when you are child get baptized your parents are taking the promises for you and I think this is wrong.
If there is a sudden death it is better to have the child baptized because the child will be freed from original sin and the child will go straight to heaven but if the child has not been baptised before there death the child can’t go to heaven with original sin so any child should be baptised as a child.
“As regards children who have died without Baptism, the church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her children who have died without Baptism. All the urgent is the church’s call not to prevent little children coming to Christ through the gift of holy Baptism.”
Catechism 1261
Some people think that if you wait until you are a teenager you may find it hard to accept the beliefs of the Catholic Church, but you may become a better Christian if you have made your own choice to be baptised because you believe the promises that you have made.
Then again most parents want there child to be baptised when they are young so that their child will know about God at the beginning of their life’s. If you want to be brought up as a Catholic and to follow God’s life the only thing to do is get baptised when you are a child and not to sin. If you wait until you are 15 or 16 to get baptised are maybe not get baptised at all you are living with original sin inside you.
After I have looked at the different points I don’t think that baptising babies is pointless, I think that all children should be baptised when they are a child so that all of them will be brought up in the Catholic Church and believing in God. In some ways I agree that you should wait until you can understand the meaning and significances of getting baptised but if you wait you have lived for years with original sin inside you. Another reason if you don’t get baptised as a child then you can’t be called a Christian until you have been baptised.
In conclusion I feel that parents, Godparents and priests should encourage children to be baptised at a young age.
