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Email a FriendPosted by Danielle M. on Thursday, Jun 23, 2011 4:34 PM (EDT):
Oh, I was just thinking to myself that we hadn’t heard about you and your babies for a while. May God Bless you and your wonderful family! What a joyous day!
Tiny New Catholics
We celebrate our babies' baptism
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Faith on Thursday, June 23, 2011 4:21 PM
When Linus and Ambrose were four weeks old, we had them baptized.
For me, it was definitely the most joyous day of their lives so far - even better than the day we brought them both home from the NICU.
Ceremonies don’t usually make me weepy. I laughed with joy through my own wedding. Baptisms are the one exception to that.
Near the beginning of the rite when the celebrant says to the baby, “I claim you for Christ,” it never fails to choke me up. This time we had the special privilege of bringing two children to become the Church’s newest members, and it was even more emotional than usual for me. I held Ambrose while he was sprinkled, and my husband held Linus, and in the pictures my facial expression looks bizarre because I was trying not to bust right out in happy tears.
The baptism was attended by a smallish group, just Bryan’s and my immediate families. But at one point it occurred to me that there was another host of persons celebrating with us: the angels.
Early in my pregnancy I felt called to ask the babies’ guardian angels for special protection . I talked to them daily while Linus and Ambrose grew, and I am sure they worked hard to protect my little guys in the womb.
As the deacon anointed my newly baptized babies, I had a sudden sense of the angels rejoicing around us. How joyful a baptism must be for the heavenly beings who serve Christ and protect us for him!
And for us - the family of these tiny brand-new Catholics - it’s incredibly joyful too.
Comments
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Posted by Nicole Stallworth on Thursday, Jun 23, 2011 5:58 PM (EDT):
Oh, lovely! I want to remember to petition my babies’ angels more. Baptisms are so beautiful—I can just imagine a double baptism. Wonderful.
Posted by Daria on Friday, Jun 24, 2011 6:54 PM (EDT):
How beautiful! Your expression looks radiant, not strange at all. “I claim you for Christ” is a moving line, but what always starts my tears is seeing that water poured and hearing whatever noise or seeing whatever motion the baby makes in response.
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