Baptism is one even that most pregnant women think about since the very first moments of this wonderful journey. The miracle of life is celebrated to baptism, which is one way to invite the little one into faith, into the real world; to prepare him for what’s about to come. Leaving behind the ancestral sin and embracing life to its fullest is possible through baptism. There are many ways to celebrate this sacrament, and the Catholic baptism has a multitude of requirements that need to be respected. The first question you may ask yourself is who can receive a Catholic baptism. If the person who desires to receive this sacrament is part of the Catholic Church, then it can be received at any age. Yet the baptism is usually received at an early age.
Expecting your first child is a journey filled with lots of emotions and this is the reason why you need to be prepared for the big event. Organizing a Catholic baptism considering the smallest details can be quite troubling if you don’t do your homework regarding this topic. Since pregnancy is going to take a while and you have plenty of time to do what you want, start by learning more about baptisms in general and maybe plan the initial steps so that it would be easier to handle everything when the big event is closer. Here are some pieces of information that will help you organize the perfect Catholic baptism:
What is the original sin?
It is important to know what the original sin represents in the Catholic culture because that is the reason people organize baptisms in the first place. The original sin does not represent a personal one that is strictly related to the child himself, but it is a general one, transmitted from one generation to another in the moment of birth. All existent people are born with this original sin and baptism is a method to eliminate the existence of sin, to wash it off, and offer the little one an entirely new beginning. Some people compare the Catholic baptism as a process of introducing the child to the world. If you are part of the Catholic Church then you might already know what this is all about, and the only thing left to do is learn more about the ritual itself and the responsibilities that you should handle.
What the ritual consists of?
Catholic baptisms are mostly organized on Sundays, as a tradition. Being one of the seven sacraments, the baptism should be administered by a deacon or a priest. The ritual includes the use of blessed water and oils. The Holy Trinity is involved as in any other sacrament. Your child should be dressed in white garments to symbolize purity and faith. All the attendees to the baptism will spiritually participate in the sacrament by professing their faith entirely and getting rid of sin or evil. The parents and the godparents will play the most important roles in a Catholic baptism. The ritual cannot be repeated at any cost during the life of a person. Parents will receive a baptismal certificate that will represent the proof of the event happening. That’s about it with the spiritual, religious side of a Christening. The next step is organizing the party where all the friends and family are going to be present.
Location and decorations for the Christening party
Besides buying the bottle bags and other details long time before the actual Christening party, you should send invitations early. This will help you approximate how much money you are going to spend, how many sitting you should order, how big the cake should be etc. Don’t feel bad about asking for confirmation. After all, this is something required for the sake of organizing the event. Also, be careful with how many people you are going to invite. You should stick to close friends and family, transforming the event into a more private one.
As for decorations, try choosing a theme and respect it. You should opt for a shabby chic baptism party if your little one turns out to be a girl. An ice-cream themed candy bar can work for any gender and combine it with some clouds will create the dreamy atmosphere for a Christening party. If you think you don’t have enough time for this, hire a specialist decorator to take care of the space you rented. In case you hold the Christening party at home, using some tulle ribbon here and there should do the work. Just unleash your creativity and the outcome will be surely favorable.
The role of godparents
Choose the godparents during your pregnancy so that they can help you with certain tasks along the way. These should be persons you can trust, persons who can handle taking care of your child if something happens to you and who are completely ready to do so. You can have more than two godparents if that’s your situation. Checking with them every now and then to make sure that they are okay with whatever decision you might take. Talk freely about both of your responsibilities and check with your church to see if there are any details left regarding their participation in Christening process.
Final thoughts
Pregnancy can be overwhelming, but it is the most beautiful thing in the world. Keeping yourself mindful and grateful for all the things that are happening in your life right now is the first step towards obtaining whatever you wish. The people you love will be there for you at any given moment to sustain you and boost your mood. Organizing the baptizing should not be stressful in any way but instead, make you feel complete and ready to start a new chapter of your life. It is such a blessing to go through this and you’ll surely find your inner strength to complete everything that comes to your path. Enjoy this experience to its fullest!
Responses