A New Week – January 12, 2025

The Baptism of the Lord

by Fr. John Vien, Pastor

~ The Christmas Season ends this weekend as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus’ Baptism by John was the beginning of his public ministry; it was only after his Baptism that Jesus went out to preach and teach, to heal the sick, and to journey to Jerusalem where he would suffer, die, and rise again.  But it all began at his baptism, and so it is with us! Baptism is the beginning of our life of faith, and for Christians, it is the most important day of our lives!

After presiding and preaching at Mass, baptism is my favorite thing as a priest. The baptism of a child is always a joyful occasion for a family, and the baptism of an adult is a profound moment in their life. I had the privilege of baptizing 39 people, mostly children, at St. Margaret of Scotland in 2024, and I hope that number increases in 2025! I am grateful to Ruth Pera, our Coordinator of Faith Formation, who coordinates our Baptisms at the parish, and to the many married couples who lead Baptism Preparation classes for new parents; thank you for passing on our faith! 

Recently, a parishioner asked me about the proper time to baptize a baby, as they noticed that children presented for baptism are increasingly older. There certainly is the trend of an increasingly longer space of time between a child’s birth and their baptism. There are reasonable causes for this: the recuperation of the mother after a difficult delivery, the availability of family out of town to be present for the ceremony, or the formal closure of an adoption process. But I will admit that I give pause when I hear parents explain that an early baptism would conflict with their social calendar or that they prefer to have the baptism in a more agreeable season like summer. 

I could respond to these choices with Canon Law: “Parents are obliged to see to it that infants are baptized within the first weeks after birth; as soon as possible after the birth or even before it parents are to go to the pastor to request the sacrament for their child and to be prepared for it properly.” (867.1) And add from the Catechism: “The Church and parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer baptism shortly after birth.” (1250) Clearly, the Church teaches a preference for early infant baptism. 

But since quoting Church teaching only goes so far, I prefer to encourage parents to be motivated by a joyful desire to share their Catholic faith with their child as soon as possible. Such action reflects the value of naming their son or daughter as a child of God and the excitement they have to begin raising this life in the household of Christ’s Church. Sometimes when filling out the information for a baptism I learn that the child was born several months or even years before. Some parents will say that they “just haven’t gotten around to it,” and others will explain, “We’ve been busy.” So it becomes difficult to convey to such parents that baptism is more than a ceremony or another family event. Baptism must be appreciated as the most important day in a person’s life. Why would one delay this? 

I was baptized on January 22, 1967, 9 days after my birth. All my brothers and sisters were baptized the Sunday after my mom came home from the hospital. I would like to offer this invitation and challenge to expectant parents and those working toward adoption: desire a life of faith for your child and be eager to introduce him or her to the larger community of Christ’s Body, the Church. Make preparations to baptize your child within a few weeks or months of their birth.  

Today, and always, may we rejoice in the great gift of baptism, our gateway to eternal life!

Baby To Baptize?

To schedule your child’s baptism, contact the parish office at least two months in advance (the sooner the better). New parents take a one-time preparation session, offered monthly.  Baptisms are held AT or AFTER the 10:00AM Sunday Mass, usually limited to twice a month. For more information contact Ruth Pera our Faith Formation Coordinator at 314-776-0363 or ffc@stmargaretstl.org.

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