Baptism of Mary Genevieve

On November 30, we had our daughter Mary Genevieve baptized. Our priest enthusiastically and successfully performed his first baptism in the extraordinary form. Chris and I wonder when this form of the sacrament was last performed (licitly) in this diocese!

You'll note that the baptism was performed during Advent. It is a too-common misunderstanding that baptisms may not be performed during the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent. Mother Church would never threaten a baby's soul by requiring the baptism to be delayed for liturgical reasons! In fact, Canon Law prescribes that baptism occur "in the first few weeks" after the baby's birth. Mary's godmother made a touching observation: that it is actually wonderfully symbolic that Mary was baptized (entered into the Church) on the first day of Advent, which is the first day of the Church's liturgical year.

Mary was crying vigorously while being dressed, so I calmed her down as best I could by nursing her.








Mary began the baptism very unhappily, which had Mama tied up in knots of anxiety. Amazingly, Mary calmed down within a couple of minutes and was happily silent (but awake) for the rest of the sacrament, even when the blessed salt was placed in her mouth.

In this form of the baptism, the godparents, not the parents, hold the baby.

The baptism begins outside the church and proceeds in, to represent the child's entrance into the Catholic Church. (Ideally, the baptismal font is just inside the entrance to the church instead of near the altar, for the same symbolic reasons that baptism marks our entrance into the "Big-C" Church. I wonder, personally, if the reason the baptismal font is now regularly at the front of the church by the altar is that baptisms are done during Mass and priority is placed on the "audience" viewing the "show" instead of the deeper meaning of the Sacrament.)

Our beautiful girl . . .

Welcome into the Church, Mary! Now you are a truly adopted child of God!