Pray for me please in regard to a preparatory Baptismal class scheduled this Friday. There are times when preparing a couple for the baptism of their child, that I perceive that their intention to raise the child in the Faith is weak. So I spend time emphasizing the necessary link between Baptism (not a magical rite) and a commitment to raise the child in the Faith. Sometimes it is a joy, and at other times tedious. In Acts 2, Peter makes an intimate link between parents and children when addressing the necessity of baptism relative to salvation. The crowd is cut to the heart and inquire: 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” The promise revolves around the truth that God calls the baptised to Himself, involving a heartfelt surrender. In the above, this surrender of heart on the parents' part is evident, and Peter extends its benefit to the children. This baptismal class concerns a couple who are not even married. In days of yore, such a child would sadly be called a bastard (a form of misplaced shame). Today, the idea of conceiving out of wedlock doesn't seem to cause parents to blink. Now the Church still allows a Baptism to take place if there is a confident sense that someone in the family will exert a christianizing influence in the life of the child. This is because Baptism isn't magical. It requies the presence of Faith. Well, I'm confident that the Catholic grandmother is exerting influence, but is that truly enough when the couple remain unmarried? We shall see! Please pray! From the Surrender Novena: Surrender to me does not mean to fret, to be upset, or to lose hope, nor does it mean offering to me a worried prayer asking me to follow you and change your worry into prayer. It is against this surrender, deeply against it, to worry, to be nervous and to desire to think about the consequences of anything. It is like the confusion that children feel when they ask their mother to see to their needs, and then try to take care of those needs for themselves so that their childlike efforts get in their mother’s way. Surrender means to placidly close the eyes of the soul, to turn away from thoughts of tribulation and to put yourself in my care, so that only I act, saying, “You take care of it.”
May God allow you to be a signpost for this family to lead them to full commitment to Christ. Just be yourself and let Christ do the rest!
I honestly think that in these cases, baptism should be allowed, highlighting its aspect of being fundamental for salvation, but without failing to emphasize that salvation comes from the grace of God and the observance of his commandments. After the Church abolished the concept of the existence of the limbo in 2007, I think it is important not to delay baptism in the case of children who have not reached the age of reason. Children are often subject to so many dangers and unpredictability in life that we don't know if they will have many more chances to receive baptism.
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. 14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Prayers Mario! So many are not getting baptized today. It’s so sad. Many young couples don’t even consider it.
Prayers to St Padre Pio. Its lovely finding someone who takes the Sacraments seriously like yourself. It is not some kind of magic.
Luan, Conditional baptism has always been allowed when the threat of death of an infant is imminent. After all, I was baptized three times in the first day of my life: the Catholic doctor who delivered me dis so, a Catholic nurse in the maternity ward did so, and the Hospital chaplain did so, because they believed death was imminent. This could be why I enjoy swimming so much! This is a good summary of the Church's position: Because of our firm belief in God’s infinite mercy and His universal salvific will that all should be saved, we have a genuine hope that there is indeed a way of salvation for children who have died without the benefit of Baptism through no fault of their own. After all, could we not rightly speculate that the desire of the parents, of the whole Church, of the child (who is made in God’s image and likeness, and at least in the most simple way has a natural longing for God), and of God Himself is truly a desire for salvation? Just as those adults, who through no fault of their own know neither the Gospel of Christ or His Church but seek God with a sincere heart and live by the dictates of their conscience with the help of His grace, may attain eternal salvation (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, #16), we certainly trust that a helpless, innocent child who has died in the womb, been aborted, been miscarried, or died without the benefit of Baptism will not be abandoned by the Lord or denied His saving grace. This hope is evident in the “living faith” of our Church. Pope John Paul II in EvangeliumVitae, when compassionately addressing women who have had abortions, wrote, “…You will also be able to ask forgiveness from your child, who is now living in the Lord” (#99). Such a statement indicates the Holy Father’s trust in the infinite mercy of God for these children and their place in the Heaven. In the Opening Prayer for the funeral Mass of an unbaptized child, the priest offers one of the following prayers: “Lord, listen to the prayers of this family that has faith in you. In their sorrow at the death of this child, may they find hope in your infinite mercy,” or, “Father of all consolation, from whom nothing is hidden, you know the faith of these parents who mourn the death of their child. May they find comfort in knowing that he is entrusted to your loving care.” Interestingly, prior to the Second Vatican Council, a priest always offered the Mass of the Angels for the children who died without baptism, entrusting their care to the Guardian Angels who look upon the face of God in Heaven. The graces of atonement of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which flow from the death and resurrection of our Lord must surely give repose to these children and comfort to their grieving families. Moreover, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents on December 28, who are considered martyrs for the faith although they were neither technically baptized nor knew Christ. Surely, the victims of abortion must be considered modern martyrs, who have shed their blood just because they were created by God yet rejected by others. While we may still struggle with this issue and find tension due to the lack of definitive teaching, we place our trust in the Lord. While the Lord has revealed to the Church that Baptism is the means of salvation, He is not restricted in offering other graced means unknown to the Church to these helpless children, and for such means the Church has great hope. However, such a hope in the infinite mercy of God must not make us complacent and thereby negligent in having children baptized or in evangelizing others. Rather, we must conscientiously fulfill our duty and enable all people to come to the Lord through Baptism. However, the Church also desires that when death is not imminent, it is not treated as "magical", but involves the entry into "the very life of God and his Church." This is why it places such an emphasis on the need of godparents in the Baptismal Rite. Especially in today's realty, when claims are made that God would never judge souls to be "deserving of hellfire", the danger of seeing Baptism as prefunctory must be firmly resisted. The Holy Spirit infuses the soul with His divine and saving presence in the midst of a "Church Family" committed to helping that new Christian eventually achieve a mature and dynamic faith. And when I as a Deacon pour the saving waters of Baptism over the head of a babe while repeating those ancient and necessary words, "Anthony Cimilluca, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!", I had best done my due diligence in helping to open up a pathway for his sanctification.
Praying for you and for the parents and godparents. The thought occurred to me that this couple, though unmarried, chose to give birth to this infant rather than abort it. To me, that’s significant.
I wonder if, in a way, a child can be an instrument of conversion for their parents instead of the conventional order of things. I watched a video by Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius about women contemplatives in the Church, in which he talks about how often (in the secular nation of Sweden) it is children who bring their parents back to church in the process of preparing for the reception of the first Eucharist.
I believe you’re right, Luan. It brings to mind Carlo Acutis, whose mother spoke of her conversion due to the fervor of her son’s devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
