No More Heathen Baby!

Yesterday may have been the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, but it was far from ordinary. 

Peter was so cozy and fast asleep during Mass, so when I pulled
him out of the carrier after Mass, he woke up and opened his big blue eyes.  

Shortly after a beautiful celebration of Mass, family and friends gathered 'round us as Jacob and I took our son to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. 

Father briefly talks with us beforehand about the Rite of Baptism. 

My husband and I had eagerly been awaiting Peter's Baptism. Even though we've been praying with Peter since his birth and taking him to Mass with since he was 5 days old, he was quite the heathen. Over the weekend, I proclaimed to many of my friends, "Soon there will be no more Heathen Baby!" or, after the Baptism: "No more Heathen Baby!" Upon hearing this, people would laugh or look shocked. The idea of our baby being labeled as a heathen made people feel strange or uncomfortable. And it should be uncomfortable! The effects of the Fall of Adam & Eve should not make us all warm and fuzzy. Original Sin is not some superficial thing that we should forget about. 

"Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth." (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1250)

Sacred Chrism and the Oil of Catechumens!
Chrism smells amazing :) 

At Pentecost, St. Peter himself told the crowds:  "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." (Acts 2:38) Following in the footsteps of countless Christians before us, we brought our son to receive this Sacrament. 

"The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole "households" received baptism, infants may also have been baptized(Acts 16:15,33; 18:8; 1 Cor 1:16)."(Catechism of the Catholic Church #1252)

"The white garment symbolizes that the person
baptized has 'put on Christ,' has risen with Christ.
The candle, lit from the Easter candle, signifies that Christ has
enlightened the neophyte. In him the baptized are 'the light of the world.''"
~Catechism of the Catholic Church #1243

Peter was pretty cranky throughout the whole Baptism, but right when the water hit his head, as he was baptized and became a member of the Body of Christ, he suddenly became quiet. Only for a moment, (he resumed his crying and moaning soon after) but it's as if the gravity of the Sacrament somehow struck him. Jacob held Peter for the Baptism and did a great job comforting him, and it was neat to stand by and prayerfully watch and soak up just being there. It was a beautiful Baptism, and it was such an incredible moment in my life. I felt so honored that Jacob and I-together-got to bring our son to receive this Sacrament and be incorporated into the Church. Little Peter Francis was flooded with graces and wiped clean of all sin, which was awesome! 

 After taking a couple photos with my family, the priest, and Peter's Godmother (his Godfather sadly couldn't make it), we chatted with some of our friends while I fed Peter (who became much happier with food in his belly!), and then meandered over to our apartment. A few people came over for brunch (which included a cereal bar-tons of different types of cereal, since my husband loves cereal-casseroles, and fruit), and getting to chat and relax with family and friends was a lovely way to finish off the morning. 

And when all was said and done, we had a very exhausted--but grace-filled--baby boy :) 

All the graces just wore him out!