Celebrating Baptism
The beautiful ceremony has four main parts, the four W’s:
Welcome. The person to be baptized and a whole group are met and warmly welcomed at the door of the church. They reflect on the reasons for being here through a few simple questions. What are you looking for? What names are you giving to your child? Will you help this child to know God and to follow his ways?
The group then processes to the front of the church for the second W, the Word of God. Readings about the significance of baptism and its wonderful effects are proclaimed.
The third W centers around water and the holy oils. Water cleanses. Water is necessary to sustain life. Jesus began his public life by being baptized in the waters of the Jordan. The new Christian begins his/her faith journey with Jesus when water is poured on his/her head in the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A white robe is put around the baby signifying that it has been blessed with a wonderful new sharing in the life of Christ. The baby’s ears are blessed to hear God’s word and its mouth to proclaim God’s truth.
The fourth W is an invitation to the whole group to be witnesses to the faith by the goodness and holiness of their lives. Faith is caught from the example of those around us. The baby is helped grow in faith by the example, encouragement and guidance of the whole community.
The Symbols Used in the Baptism Ceremony…
The Sign of the Cross:
A stamp or imprint something is a sign of its origin or ownership. The sign of the cross which we make at the beginning of the ceremony on the child’s forehead, claims him/her for Christ.
Oils:
In the Celebration of Baptism TWO different oils are used;
⦁ The Oil of catechumens – The child is anointed on the chest with this oil as a sign that the Lord is giving them strength for the Christian journey they are beginning.
⦁ The Oil of Chrism – A very sacred oil, which the child is anointed with on the top of the head. Oil is used to anoint kings and monarchs, it sets people aside for a mission. We are set aside for the Christian mission on the day we are baptised.
Profession of Faith:
YOU have requested baptism for your child. In doing this you are making a commitment to bringing up your child in the faith. – We promise to live by Christian values and pass on those values to our child. We promise to bring our child to Mass and the Sacraments, for this is what it means to belong to the Christian family. Therefore we profess the faith that we promise, before the community gathered, to pass onto our child. We pray for the grace to live as good Christian witnesses before our child.
Water:
Water is essential for life! In Baptism, water symbolises the new life we receive in Christ. Just as we nurture and care for a plant or shrub, in order for it to live a healthy life, we too must nurture and care for our faith in order for it to grow healthy and strong.
Baptism Robe/Shawl:
The White Robe is a symbol of Christ. After they were baptised, the early Christians used to clothe themselves in white garments to show that they had “put on Christ”. In the same way, the child, during the baptism ceremony, is clothed in the white shawl to show that they are “clothed in Christ” or “wrapped up” in the love of Christ!
The Baptism Candle:
The large Easter Candle (or Pascal Candle) is lit for the Baptism ceremony. This light symbolises Christ, the Risen Lord, who overcame the cross and rose to new life. It is a symbol of hope! A smaller Baptism Candle is lit from the Easter Candle. This light, love and hope of Jesus is being passed on to the new Christian through YOU the parents.