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Baptism Symbols

Belonging to a parish community involves formally registering with the parish. Registration allows the parish to know how many families it serves and to contact them if needed. It also means that members want to worship together each Sunday and support the church's ministry through their time, talents and monetary contributions. Godparents have a lifelong role in assisting the parents to raise the child in the faith. They should pray for their godchild daily, visit regularly, participate in liturgies together, and continue growing in their own faith. The symbols of baptism include water for new life, oil for healing and anointing, a white garment for new Christian dignity, and a candle representing Christ as the light.

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Franz Montero
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130 views2 pages

Baptism Symbols

Belonging to a parish community involves formally registering with the parish. Registration allows the parish to know how many families it serves and to contact them if needed. It also means that members want to worship together each Sunday and support the church's ministry through their time, talents and monetary contributions. Godparents have a lifelong role in assisting the parents to raise the child in the faith. They should pray for their godchild daily, visit regularly, participate in liturgies together, and continue growing in their own faith. The symbols of baptism include water for new life, oil for healing and anointing, a white garment for new Christian dignity, and a candle representing Christ as the light.

Uploaded by

Franz Montero
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Belonging to a Parish Community

Baptism initiates a person into the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. When Baptism is celebrated in a Church, the person is also initiated into that particular believing community and he or she assumes the rights and privileges of being Catholic.. Belonging is important. From the moment of birth, children seek to belong. To know the faces, voices and touch of those we call mother and father is essential in the development of a child. The need to belong is not limited to our family. When a person comes seeking Baptism into the life of the Church, he or she is asking to belong. Although through the sacrament of Baptism one is initiated into life in Christ and the Church, there is another important way to belong. We state our desire to belong to a parish community by formally registering in the parish. Registering is a rather simple act that brings responsibility and commitment. Belonging to a parish community is more than filling out a registration form. Registration means that we want to gather each Sunday with our brothers and sisters in Christ to worship God and that we want and intend to support the work of the Church. In practical terms, the registration form allows the parish to know how many families live in the parish and it allows parish staff to contact families when this is deemed necessary. The parish roster is developed from the registration forms. Supporting the work of the Church is the responsibility of all registered members. We support the work of our parish by sharing our time, talents and monetary resources. A weekly offering assists with the Churchs

ministry needs, provides a suitable location for liturgical celebrations and assists with the living accommodations of our priests. Using offertory envelopes assists everyone and it allows the church to provide a yearly receipt for income tax. Although a parish is busy with many activities, the primary works of the Church are to praise and worship God, to proclaim the gospel and initiate new members. All these are the work of the entire parish community (all registered members). When someone is seeking to celebrate a sacrament, it is only natural for the Church to inquire if the family is registered with the parish. Registration is a concrete sign that the family is involved in the life and work of the Church.

Godparents for Life


Congratulations! The relationship between a godchild and godparent is unique and lifelong. You are embarking on a special journey, one that will last years. On the day of Baptism the Church asks the godparent if he or she is ready to assist the parents in raising the child in the practice of the faith. The role of the godparent is not limited to the day of Baptism. The Church invites you to be an active presence in the life of your godchild. Weekly participation in the Sunday Eucharist is foundational to our lives as Catholics. Weekly participation in the Sunday Eucharist is the centre of our lives. As a godparent you will model what it means to live as a Catholic Christian.

Some Suggestions

The following suggestions may assist you in your role as godparent.  Pray for your godchild each day.  Regular visits with your godchild are encouraged.  Begin a sacramental scrapbook for your godchild. Later you can work on it together.  Write a letter to your godchild telling him or her how you felt on the day of the Baptism. Keep the letter until the child is older.  Send a letter or a visit each year on the anniversary of your godchilds Baptism.  Whenever possible the godparent and the godchild should participate in the Sunday liturgy and other liturgical celebrations together.  It is important for the godparent to continue to grow in his or her faith therefore take advantage of retreats, special workshops or presentations. As you journey with your godchild may both of you discover more and more about the mystery of Gods abiding love. Cross- When we are baptized we receive the sign of the cross on our foreheads. The Cross is the badge of the Christian faith. It is the symbol through which our salvation is wrought. Water is the central symbol of baptism. Because water is essential to all life, the water of baptism symbolises the life-giving grace that sustains those who have become children of God. Oil is used twice in the ceremony. Before the baptism, the childs breast is smeared with the oil of catechumens as a sign of healing and strengthening. Afterwards the crown of the head is anointed with perfumed chrism as a symbol of joy and thanksgiving. The white garment with which the newly baptised is then clothed symbolises their new life in Christ and is "the outward sign of Christian dignity". A baptismal candle is lit from the paschal candle beside the font and presented to the new member as a sign of the light of Christ.

BAPTISM SYMBOLS

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