HDYDI: Baptism Week {Preparing for the Sacrament}

Welcome to Baptism Week at Team Whitaker!

This is the first post of a five-part series:
Preparing for the Sacrament (What the Sacrament Means)
Choosing Godparents (Finding People to Support Your Child)
+ BOWL SET Giveaway from Clarey Clayworks
Looking Your Best (Dressing the Part for Your Child’s Big Day)
+ $100 PHOTO CREDIT from Renee Blood Photography,
ST. GERARD EARRINGS from Loreto Rosaries and
BAPTISM BONNET AND THREE-PIECE SET + 20% OFF from Blessings Christian Gift Shop in West
Feeding the Party (Making the Celebration Awesome)
+ HOLY WATER FONT by Portraits of Saints
Saying Thanks (Showing Your Appreciation)
+ WOODEN DOLL by St. Luke’s Brush and NOTECARDS by FlorLarios

Baptisms. Hold on a sec while I inhale the chrism oil.

This week, I am SO excited to share what I love about this sacrament, how it can be a special day for your family and why it’s so important. We’ll be chatting about the pretty, the frilly and the logistics of hosting the shindig afterward, too. There’s also some a-mazing giveaways in store. But first, let’s talk about why the Sacrament is just so awesome.

Why Baptism?
Going back about 19 years, Scott and I were preparing for marriage and the priest asked me, “What’s your baptism date?” My reply: “Which one, because my most favorite was the third one.” After he picked himself up off the floor from laughing, he said, “The first one, Kathryn. That’s the one that counts.”

I was perplexed because I thought baptisms could be celebrated multiple times. As a Protestant, and one who floated to several churches during my early life, baptisms were a sort of “rite of passage” in every congregation our family belonged. Looking back, though, the preparation I did for two of my early childhood baptisms seemed more akin to the Catholic Sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation. My first baptism was done as an infant. It does make sense that the first time we are christened/baptized (every church has a different name) is THE time. While you might rededicate your promises to God in the Jordan River, for example, you can’t really be rebaptized. That only happens once. It’s with that in mind that we’ve approached each of our children’s baptisms. In other words, we take baptism pretty seriously at our house.

From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):

In his dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus taught that Baptism was necessary for salvation. “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (Jn 3:5). After his Resurrection, Jesus met with the eleven Apostles and gave them the commission to preach the Gospel and baptize, telling them, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mk 16:16).

A great resource for the fullness of what Catholics believe regarding baptism can be found via the USCCB.

A Word About Conditional and Emergency Baptisms
Four years ago I knew nothing about emergency baptisms. That changed with our preemie. On day nine, he developed a life-threatening case of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and stopped breathing. After he was resuscitated, we called his Godfather (also a priest) and told him to come quickly. In Bay 2 of the NICU, we baptized Luke. It was the most peaceful, emotional baptism I’ve ever witnessed. We were all in tears. Happy mixed with the fear of the unknown. The reality is this. Even if we had not baptized Luke and he did not make it out of the NICU, I believe God’s mercy would’ve put him on the fast track to heaven. No doubt. We did end up finishing the rite about a month after Luke’s NICU discharge. Enter happy, smiling photos here. It may not have been the way we originally planned or dreamed, but it was perfect. A celebration of life, as it should be. Adults are typically the ones who receive a conditional baptism. Usually, there is either no documented proof or the adult is unsure if a baptism took place. In that case, the priest conditionally baptizes the person.

An interesting note about this Sacrament. When the life of someone is in danger, even a non-baptized person can baptize, provided that person follows the form and intends to do what the Church does, to bring that person into the fullness of the Church. {A hat tip to Fr. Brian McMaster, Vocations Director for the Diocese of Austin that made sure I wasn’t a heretic and all.}

The Importance of Baptism
Two essential parts of baptism are the pouring of the water over the head of the child and the words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is when I usually cry. Catholics (and Lutherans, Anglicans and other mainline Protestant churches) believe infants should be baptized since it removes both the guilt and the punishment due to original sin (as in, the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden). Whatever your church believes, I’m betting they take baptism seriously. It’s the first Sacrament performed on our children and it can set a firm foundation for their faith life.

I’m a self-proclaimed Baptism junkie. I love them. Adore them! There is something so pure and beautiful about the day. Mostly it’s about love. Love of family, love of faith and love of God. It really doesn’t get better than that, y’all.

I also recognize that not everyone places the same importance on baptism as we do. Not everyone see it as a “have-to-do” for their children. If you have a friend or family member that hasn’t baptized their child, ease up on them. Maybe they need to sort through some things, faith-wise, before they make the leap. Maybe there’s a deeper issue that you’re not aware. Maybe, just maybe, your witness of living – not preaching – will lead them to consider it. God’s timeline is almost always different than ours. Trust in His.

Tomorrow, we’ll be chatting about Godparents and you’ll have a chance to participate in the first giveaway. Oh yes, it’s mighty lovely.