A father is in church with three of his young children, including his five year old daughter. During this particular service, the priest was baptizing a tiny infant. The five year old girl was taken by this, observing that he was saying something and pouring water over the infant's head. With a quizzical look on her face, the little girl turned to her father and asked: "Daddy, why is he brainwashing that baby??" Sacraments often thought of as some guidance tools or reference notes on ethical and moral behavior of Christians. Baptism takes away our dark original sins; confirmation gives us strength to fight the evil spirit; Eucharist gives us energy to overcome sin and the challenges of life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that Sacraments bring us grace of God. Though the sacraments empower us against the forces of evil - that is not the primary concern of the grace of God.
Sacraments reveal God to us in our different life-stages. We become children of God through Baptism. It should not be understood as a certificate or requirement to become the children of God. Like Childhood in physical life needs guidance and support from the parents and significant people, the childhood in spiritual life needs necessary graces and blessing from God. Child baptism necessarily fills parents with a great responsibility to influence their son or daughter with the grace received through the sacrament.
Baptismal rituals alone will not bring us grace. The first reading tells us that our becoming children of God reveal the true nature of God. We see as He really is. It reminds us of the Baptism of Jesus himself. John the Baptist saw the Spirit came upon Jesus. Though baptism is not a repeated sacrament, baptismal promises are to be repeated very often. We need those promises renewed in order to experience the revelation from God. Let us pray that we be faithful to our promises to see God as He is. Amen.
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