Subjects:
Other Sacraments – Baptism of Infants
[24/Aug/2004:21:14:54] <Father Phillip> hello
[24/Aug/2004:21:14:58] <Father Phillip> Benedict: Seems like I am the
only one so I might as well ask a question. Why does the Church baptize infants?
[24/Aug/2004:21:15:35] <Father Phillip> actually, only the moderator's
name appears on the side panel -- others in the room don't show up there --
hence, "moderated chat" :-)
[24/Aug/2004:21:15:39] <Father Phillip> but to your question....
[24/Aug/2004:21:15:51] <Father Phillip> there are actually a number of
reasons...
[24/Aug/2004:21:16:13] <Father Phillip> 1. before God Who is Infinite,
we -- all finite beings -- are all like infants
[24/Aug/2004:21:16:40] <Father Phillip> we can no more understand or earn
the majesty of God's grace from the Sacrament than can an infant earn or understand
her mother's love
[24/Aug/2004:21:17:06] <Father Phillip> so infant Baptism is a really
good symbol of what God does for us in the Sacrament
[24/Aug/2004:21:17:22] <Father Phillip> 2. in the early Christian era
entire households were baptized
[24/Aug/2004:21:18:03] <Father Phillip> the logical conclusion -- esp
in a time when children were largely thought of as property -- more or less
-- was that children were among those Baptized
[24/Aug/2004:21:18:18] <Father Phillip> and so the Church has long stayed
with it's Tradition of baptizing infants
[24/Aug/2004:21:18:47] <Father Phillip> and 3. Baptism gives the initial
grace of welcome into the community of faith
[24/Aug/2004:21:19:10] <Father Phillip> infancy -- at the very beginning
of life in community -- is seen as the 'perfect' time for that initiation
[24/Aug/2004:21:19:15] <Father Phillip> make sense?
[24/Aug/2004:21:42:49] <Father Phillip> Benedict: Yes.
[24/Aug/2004:21:42:54] <Father Phillip> good
[24/Aug/2004:21:42:58] <Father Phillip> glad to be of service :-)