Don't wait forever to baptize your child

Baptism of the Lord, Jan. 9, 2011
Fr. Anthony Brankin Gospel: Matt. 3:13-17. Baptism of Jesus.
MP3 Audio

Summary: In the ancient world, Baptism was only a symbol. Jesus came to be baptized to show that we needed real Baptism. Jesus took the ceremony of Baptism and made it a sacrament. Now, Baptism is more than a symbol — it is an actual taking away of sins.

Protestants, however, will be baptized again and again as they move from one church to another. We believe that God gives us a whole  new identity, a regeneration, in Baptism. The soul is changed, and this can never be taken back. Godparents are chosen to be like parents in a spiritual way.

Saint Francis de Sales’ “little virtues” of gentleness, kindness, humility, and cheerful optimism shape the monastic life of the Visitation Sisters. Consider a life of prayer and teaching. Washington, DC.

What about babies who die before baptism? Do they go to heaven? Where do the souls go? We don”t know. The Church used to talk about limbo. It was a nice place, not heaven. But we don”t know where these souls go.

Fr. Brankin thinks that your baby should be baptized a couple of weeks after birth. Certainly by a few months. He doesn”t know why people wait so long to baptize their babies. To delay puts the soul of the child in jeopardy.

There was once a man who was driving his child to the church to be baptized, and he said, “if we wait any longer, he will be able to drive us to church.”

Baptism begins the life of grace. Baptism is not about what we do, but what God does. Baptism starts us on the road to grace.