Baptism Homily

Put on God's royal nature.

"Unless one is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

When we hear the words Kingdom of God we think of heaven. It is the Church’s teaching that baptism is required to enter heaven when we die and this is what has brought you all here for today. But the word kingdom has a much deeper meaning than just the geographical rule of a king. The kingdom of God includes heaven when we die, but in the truest sense of the word, kingdom means God’s royal nature. We cannot put on God’s royal nature if we are not born of water and the spirit.

That is the true purpose of baptism. Through it the stain of original sin is washed away, the gates of heaven are opened, and eternal life with God is offered to us. We accept this offer to eternal life when we put on God’s royal nature and become his adopted children. Baptism isn’t about you choosing God for your children. It is about God adopting your children as his own. That makes this day the most important day of these children’s lives. Baptism is the greatest gift you can give your children.

The second greatest gift you can ever give your children is the gift of the Catholic faith. When we are baptized, we are adopted by God as his own children and we inherit his royal nature. Our Catholic faith teaches and guides us on how to live that royal nature well. Your primary responsibility, and the responsibility of everyone gathered here, is to pass on our faith to these children. We do this first and foremost by our example and the way we live our lives.

That is a task that should not be taken lightly. Jesus told us it would be better for someone who causes a little one who believes in him to stumble to have a large millstone hung around their neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. That makes passing on our faith one of the most important things you will ever do.

You are not alone in this task. You have their god parents, your families, and the entire Church ready to help you. Take advantage of all of the tools the Church offers, beginning with our Sunday obligation. Bring these children to Mass with you every week. Don’t worry if they get fussy and cry. A baby’s voice is painful to the devil’s ears for it reminds hm of where he has failed to get you to turn from God’s great gift of creating with him an immortal life. A church without crying babies is a church that has no future.