Baptism 101

It’s the day before my daughter’s baptism (cum practice debut 😉 ).  I have a million things to do and some are not falling into place as I expected.  I am suddenly jerked once again into the realization of what this affair truly is all about – my daughter will be welcomed into the family of  Christians!  Geez!  Surely this is more important than a failed tarpaulin design?!?

About three weeks ago, I started reading on the catechism of the Catholic Church and brushed up on the Sacrament of Baptism.

“Baptism constitutes the foundation of communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: “For men who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church.  Justfied by faith in Baptism, they are inocrporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.”  “Baptism therefore constitues the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn.”

“The Holy Spirit has marked us with the seal of the Lord (“Dominicus character”) for the day of redemption.”  “Baptism indeed is the seal of eternal life.”  The faithful Christian who has “kept the seal” until the end, remaining faithful to the demands of his Baptism, will be able to depart this life “marked with the sign of faith”, with his baptismal faith, in expectation of the blessed vision of God – the consummation of faith – and in the hope of resurrection. 

Quite a mouthful there but basically, with her baptism, my daughter will now be an “adopted daughter of God”, who shall become a “partaker of the divine nature”, a member of Christ and “co-heir” with him, and a “temple of the Holy Spirit”.

Still lost?

Well, this simply means I should stop my frivolities and focus on the more important things. 

I have gotten so caught up with the preparations – the church, the reception venue, the decor and the giveaways, etc., that I almost forgot the true essence of this affair. 

We Filipinos have a habit of celebrating things on a grand scale.  Events like this are treated like a reunion, with about 50 guests that soon balloons to 100 or more.  It sometimes becomes a measurement of how far the couple has come in the social ladder  instead of a declaration of the completion of their love and commitment to make a family.  Godparents are selected with a view of widening their network or securing/paying back a favor.  Indeed, some of us have even listed a dozen or so godparents with a view of making them “giftsparents” and somehow recover the cost of reception. 

Incidentally, the role of godparents is to assist the parents in raising the child in her spiritual growth.  Godparents are called upon to teach the child to develop a lifelong relationship with the family of Jesus fully aware of the gift of faith and redemption and the responsibilities that comes along with being a Christian.  Thus, the Church requires that the godparent shares the faith of the parents of the child so as to enable him/her to fully comply with the obligation that comes with it.   No wonder Jennifer Lopez is receiving so much flak for getting Tom Cruise as godfather for her twins!  It will indeed be quite confusing for the Catholic twins to receive spiritual advice from their Scientologist godfather. 

Somehow, I can feel Ninang Blue cringing in her sneakers.  Haha!   Don’t worry, there’s no such tall order here.  It is sufficient that you be there for Nina, share her the world as you have shared it with me.  🙂

I intended to write letters to each of our chosen ninongs and ninangs – to let them know how each of them has been chosen with much consideration (not trivially nor by tradition), each of them embodying traits and a wealth of experience which we would like our child to draw from, each of them being so much “like us” that they can indeed stand as “second parents” to our daughter, but thought better of it.   Suffice to say, “Guys and Gurls, you are the Chosen Ones!  Thank you very much for accepting to be Nina’s Godparents!”  🙂

This said, I must now go.   As Cathechism or not, I still have that dress to buy!  🙂