Promises Made in Faith (Day 20)

In addition to my prayer life being important to my faith, so, too is the practice of my religion.  As a mother, I have been blessed to be trusted to raise and rear my children – God has given me an awesome and simultaneously daunting task of rearing children who will hopefully grow to love Him and trust in Him.

The word for today is:

Baptism.

Pope Francis has said baptisms are, “The date of our rebirth as children of God,” and should be celebrated just as actual birthdays are celebrated – annually, and in style.  It is the moment in which our souls are cleansed from the stain of Original Sin, and a time where, surrounded by community, the parents of the children commit to leading Christian examples of faith, love, and fidelity – to God, to each other, and to their children.

During this process, the family is also surrounded by community – a community which vows to renounce Satan and all his works, and to support the parents in their quest to raise children who know, desire, and love God.

My children are 4 and <1.  They aren’t in a position to fully understand and comprehend the promises their father and I made at their baptisms.  Yet, these promises were ones neither of us made lightly.  Along with the community present, and in addition to promising to lead a Christian life by example, we promised to:

Reject Satan, and all his works and all his empty promises;

To believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth;

To believe in Jesus Christ, His only son, Our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father;

To believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Promises and prayers can be found at Catholic Online

The words of the promises are reminiscent of the Apostle’s Creed, which is prayed aloud during every Mass.  (Lightbulb moment – that is probably why, on days where we have a Baptism, the congregation doesn’t pray the Creed!)  It’s a prayer that affirms our faith – as Christians.

As a mother, the Creed reminds me why I gear up and battle the power struggles regarding prayers at bedtime, sitting attentively and learning to participate in the Mass, and studying to combat the more difficult questions I am sure my children will ask as they grow in their relationship with God.

Because, at the end of the day, I want to be able to say I lived up to the Baptismal promises I made at my children’s Baptism.

And, I have faith they will be able to say the following prayer, with heartfelt belief:

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.

He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there, He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen

Quick link version to this prayer can be found at EWTN