In 1981, Pope John Paul II began an annual tradition of baptizing children of Vatican employees at St. Peter’s Basilica on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Infant baptism has been a consistent practice of the Church since its earliest days, as evidenced in Sacred Scripture and early Church documents. Baptism is not simply a ceremony in which someone publicly acknowledges they have faith. Baptism actually changes the person who receives it. This change is needed because all of us enter the world with a fallen human nature, tainted by original sin. Thus, the Church teaches: “Children also have need of the 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” (Catechism 1250). Indeed, Christ teaches us that “Unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5). And so, it is a great act of love for parents to bring their child to the Church for baptism without undue delay, to make them adopted children of God, and co-heirs with Christ to a divine inheritance. I would encourage everyone to read the section in the Catechism on baptism (1213-1274) to learn more about the importance of this sacrament.
At this year’s service, Pope Leo XIV praised the parents for bringing their children to be baptized. Having given their children the gift of life, now, by having them baptized, they were giving them the gift of faith. Faith is a gift even greater than necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter, he continued, because faith provides us with the very meaning of life, which is salvation in Christ. But faith needs to be nurtured. Parents bear primary responsibility for nurturing their children’s faith through prayer, the sacramental life, and formation in Church teaching, including morality. The role of godparents is to assist parents in their sacred duty, and so it is by no means an honorary position. It comes with grave responsibilities, and a child has a right to godparents who are “firm believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized on the road of Christian life” (Catechism 1255). This is why the Church requires godparents to be faithful Catholics who attend Mass each Sunday and holy day and live lives that are consistent with the teachings of the Church.
Pope Leo told the parents that soon their children “will be heavy to hold in your arms; and the day will also come when they will be the ones to support you.” By nurturing the faith of children, families grow together in friendship with Christ. The baptismal grace of faith truly binds them together, sustaining them through all the seasons of life. It prepares children for the days when their parents are elderly and infirm. Children formed well in the faith will know the importance of ensuring that, when close to death, their parents receive the sacraments and are given a funeral and proper burial.
Next Sunday (2/1), at the 11:15am Mass, we will honor families who are celebrating either the first or fifth anniversary of a baptism at our parish. It’s a way in which we encourage them to see the parish as an extension of their family, where they receive help to fulfill the promises they made at their children’s baptism. All parishioners are welcome at the Mass and are encouraged to join us afterwards for lunch in McDermott Hall.
posted 1/24/26
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 