Born Again

A nostalgic post with my babies in their baptism outfits. Stephen and I were at Church earlier this week preparing for our newest Godson's baptism which will take place this Saturday. Stephen and I are now Godparents to 5 boys: Nathan, Elias, Dylan, Alexander and now Anthony. The first four are our nephews and Anthony is our dear friend's son who was born on February 1st this year. We are so honored our friends asked us to be his Godparents. 

When we were preparing earlier this week at Church the lecturer spoke about the origins of Godparents. Infant baptism has existed since the time of Jesus. Scripture shows us circumcision of eight-day old babies as the way of entering into the Old Covenant, baptism is the new "circumcision" for all people of the New Covenant Col 2:11-12. Peter and Paul baptized households including children and infants. So therefore the Catholic Church has baptized children and infants since the time of Jesus. In the times of early Christianity Godparents were there to give spiritual guidance to those baptized, especially if the parents were not Christians. Now a days we see the the role of a spiritual guider to be the parents role. However you can never have too many sponsoring, encouraging and uplifting a young Christian... it takes a village right?

I've made it a tradition to write to our Godson's at Easter time each year. Check in with them, remind them of their Faith, and most importantly of our Savior. Whether our Godson's grow up and remain in their Catholic faith they were baptized in, or if they choose another Christian denomination - my prayer is that they will always believe in our Savior Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins and only through Him shall we have everlasting life, Christ has died - Christ is risen - Christ will come again. 

Born Again...the Catholic way... 

 John 3:3,5 - Jesus says, "Truly, truly, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 

 "The Church received from the Apostles the tradition of giving Baptism even to infants. For the Apostles, to whom were committed the secrets of divine mysteries, knew that there is in everyone the innate stains of sins, which must be washed away through water and the Spirit." Origen, Commentary on Romans, 5:9 (A.D. 244). 

 "For He came to save all through means of Himself--all, I say, who through Him are born again to God--infants, and children, and boys, and youths, and old men." Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 2,22:4 (A.D. 180). 

"And they shall baptise the little children first. And if they can answer for themselves, let them answer. But if they cannot, let their parents answer or someone from their family." Hippolytus of Rome, Apostolic Tradition, 21 (c. A.D. 215).