Lesson 10
More on the Sacrament of Baptism (Part II)
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Welcome back to the Lenten Lessons on the Sacraments. Today I will tell you the rest of the Ritual for Baptism. We left off yesterday with the priest, parents, and godparents tracing the sign of the cross on the forehead of the baby. That sign of the cross is a reminder of how Jesus saved us.
What follows are readings from Sacred Scripture, a short homily, intercessions, and a short Litany of the Saints. The priest then performs a short and simple exorcism of the child with these words: “We pray for this child: set him (her)
free from original sin, make him (her) a temple of your glory, and send your Holy
Spirit to dwell with him (her).” Beautiful. Powerful stuff.
And now it is time for the anointing of the child with the Oil of Catechumens, one of the three Holy Oils we use in the sacraments, along with Chrism and the Oil of the Sick.
The child is anointed with the Oil of Catechumens near his breast as he says: “We anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ our Savior; may he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.”
And now the actual Celebration of the Sacrament takes place. First, there is a Blessing and Invocation of God over Baptismal Water. And then the Priest invites the parents and godparents to renounce sin and profess their faith. The words are clear and powerful. The priest reminds them “On your part, you must make it your constant care to bring him (her) up in the practice of the faith.”
The renunciation of sin, Satan, and all his empty works, and our profession of faith in Jesus Christ is similar to what we do every year on Easter Sunday, so there is a constant connection of the sacraments to this theme. The parents speak for the child, because the child cannot speak for himself, just as they feed and bathe the infant who cannot do the same for herself.
Next, the parents and godparents are questioned again about what they want for the child and explicitly state that they will raise the child as a Catholic.
And now the time for the actual baptism, with water from the baptismal font, has arrived. A parent or godparent holds the baby over the baptismal font, as the priest pours water over the head three times as he says, “Maria, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
Next, the infant is anointed on the crown of the forehead with the Sacred Chrism, as a little white baptismal gown is placed on the child, and a small white candle is lit from the paschal candle and handed to the godparents as a symbol for the “light of Christ” which we are called to keep on burning brightly in our homes. Before the final words, the priest touches the mouth and ears of the child saying the Aramaic word Jesus used to heal the deaf-mute person: Ephphatha, begging God that the child — as he grows — will hear and speak the Word of God. Final blessings are bestowed on the parents, and all gathered sing a hymn of thanksgiving, as the priest presents the parents with the Baptismal Certificate and the family gathers for pictures of this momentous occasion.
So tune in every day of Lent to learn more about your Catholic faith, because if you Learn it, then you can Live it; and if you Live it, you will Love it; and if you Love it, you will never Leave it!
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