Celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism The Community of the Good Shepherd Guidelines for the Sacrament of Baptism In the Rite of Baptism for Children, parents acknowledge their role as primary teachers and providers for their children, even before children are able to ask for what is good for them. Three elements are particularly important in this sacrament: 1. The introduction of the child to God’s life, and the realization that God loves and provides for His people at all times. 2. The responsibility of the parents to accept their role as primary teachers, and their commitment to helping their child live the promises made at his or her Baptism, since Baptism is not merely an event, but the beginning of your child's faith journey. 3. Baptism is not a private event; it is introduction into the life of the Christian community. This presumes parents' active participation within the community, and an acknowledgment of the community in the celebration of the sacrament. Requirements for the Baptism of a Child at Good Shepherd Parish 1. Parents must be members of Good Shepherd Parish. A "parish member" is a Catholic who is registered and active in the parish or lives in the parish territorial boundaries. In some instances, Baptism may be celebrated at Good Shepherd for a grandchild of a parishioner, provided the parents of the child are registered in a parish, and have the written permission of their pastor for the Baptism to take place here. 2. Parents must attend the parish baptismal program, which is offered on the first Sunday of every month, at 1:30 p.m. It is recommended that parents attend this session before the baby is born. 3. Baptisms are celebrated on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, at 1:30 p.m. Because Baptism is a community event, the idea of a "private" Baptism is highly discouraged. 4. The choice of godparents is crucial. They should be persons who can be relied upon to encourage the child and parents in faith. For that reason, the sponsors must be themselves exemplary, practicing Christians, and not simply relatives or good friends. At least one god-parent (male or female) must be a fully initiated (confirmed), practicing Catholic, and at least 16 years of age. The other may be a baptized, practicing Christian of another faith. Ideally, the godparent at Baptism ought to be able to follow through as sponsor at Confirmation. 5. Our recommendation is that a baby be baptized around the age of three months. 6. There is a different program for baptism of children who are of the age of four years and older. Arrangements for this program can be made through the parish office. We have included this page of questions for you, so that each of you understand a little more about each other's desires for your child and to make sure that you are both aware of the undertaking of having a child baptized. Discuss your responses to help understand where each of you are with the Church and the Sacrament of Baptism. Please read and respond to these questions before reading any of the material. 1. I want to have our child baptized because 2. I am of the Christian faith today because 3. My faith or my religious practices have changed in the following ways since I was a child. 4. Three things we might do to make religion more important in our lives are 5. We see the difference between a Christian and a Catholic Christian as 6. The baptism of our child means to us 7. As our child grows older, we would like them to better understand the Catholic faith as 8. My hope and dream for my child's future in the world and the Catholic faith is 9. You, as parents are responsible for the primary religious education of your child; what will you need to carry that responsibility in the coming years? 10. Because you as parents will lead by example, how do you see yourselves becoming more involved in our parish community? 1. Some parents wonder why they must attend a preparation class for the sacrament of Baptism. Since they themselves are Christians, it seems only natural to them that they would have their children baptized. 2. Even though efforts at baptismal catechesis for parents who wish to present their children for baptism have become widespread, many parents still puzzle over the practice. They wonder what more they need in the way of preparation than the instruction and formation they have already had. 3. Baptismal catechesis should be approached as an occasion for all the participants to deepen their appreciation of the mystery of God's love for us which is ever new. It should be a time for parents of newborn children, catechists, and godparents to share with each other their own grasp of that mystery and to pray for each other for the strength and commitment to guide these children on their faith journey. 4. In addition, baptismal preparation serves as a means for interfaith marriages to share the meaning· and ritual of this unifying sacrament. All cultures have some form of initiation by which a person becomes a member. The sacrament of Baptism is the initiation rite by which a person becomes a member of the Church. In Baptism, Jesus, through the sign of water, welcomes the baptized person into His Family—the Body of Christ. Because of the permanence of this sacrament, no one needs to be baptized twice. The Family Jesus welcomes us into at Baptism, is really a priesthood whose members share Christ's mission. The baptized, all of whom are priests of Christ, reveal God by serving others and by mirroring Jesus in other ways. This Family of God is the unity of the Church. In Baptism, Jesus gives His grace, a miracle beyond our understanding. Grace is Jesus actually present, giving Himself—giving the baptized all the power and help he or she needs, all the strength he or she requires, to carry on God's work in this world. Grace means that God loves us so much that God gives us everything necessary to reach our goal. Jesus gives His Family grace in all His sacraments. Symbols and Rites in Baptism Water is the most prominent element in the baptismal rite. We should refer to the Scripture to see the full significance of water. It is referred to often as a symbol of new life. In Genesis, we find that God parted the waters to create life. The account of Noah and the Flood shows water as purifying and as giving rise to a new people—new life. The story of Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea (or Sea of Reeds) portrays water as saving and recreating the Israelite people as a nation. John the Baptist used the water of the Jordan River to help people mark a personal decision to repent and accept a new life. Baptism can be received either by being immersed in water or by having the water poured or sprinkled on one's head. Immersion was most common in the early Church; it symbolized, for the early Christians, the person's death to sin (going down under the water) and resurrection (coming up out of the water) to a new life in Christ. The newly baptized is also clothed in a white robe or cloth. This practice is carried over from the early Church when baptized adults were dressed in () white. The robe symbolizes the new life the baptized now shares in the Body of Christ. The baptized is anointed with chrism, a symbol of priesthood. The baptized person is now a priest for Christ: he or she must mirror Christ and reveal the Father. The last symbol of the Sacrament of Baptism is the baptismal candle. This will Y be lighted from the Easter Candle as a symbol of Christ's light and the light of faith in our life. Thus, the initiation rite of Baptism marks a personal decision to accept purification from sin and selfishness, to be saved from slavery to the ways of the world, and to enter upon a new way of life: serving others. It means being incorporated into the Body of Christ. We should reflect often—even daily—on this awesome commitment. We should ask, "Does my life reflect this commitment?" The Eucharist, when fellow Christians gather to celebrate their common dedication, and to ask for strength as they attempt to live a life of love and service, would be an excellent time to renew our Baptismal vows. In order to understand anything completely, it is important to know where it came from and how it came to be. The Sacrament of Baptism is no different; to understand what it means for us in the twentieth century, we must understand what it meant for our ancestors in the faith. It is through the study of the rites they used that we can best grasp their insights into baptism. The first mention of baptism in the Scriptures is the account of John baptizing in the Jordan. Baptism was not unknown to the Jews before John, because in certain places proselyte (converts to Judaism) baptism as a ritual cleansing after circumcision took place, as well as the. baptismal practice of daily purifications by the Essene community of Jewish monks at Qumran. For John's followers, however, baptism had a deeper prophetic dimension; it symbolized the preparation for a new age, a repentance from sin, and a conversion to a way of life that would be characteristic of the new age—a life of justice and integrity (Lk 3, Mt 3:7-12).