June 24th!

Yesterday our Goddaughter, little G, was baptized in a beautiful ceremony. She looked radiant. So did her parents and I must say, so did her Godparents.

Fr. John said a very nice homily. He focused on the role of the parents and Godparents in bringing up these children in the Catholic faith. Some main points he lovingly made:

- The parents are the primary educators of the child.

- The first Bible story the child hears should not be from the Child Formation teacher when the child is 4, but from the parents when they are babes.

- The parish Religious and staff are the 'second team'! The parents are the first team.

-The Godparents are there to help the parents.

-Godparents, remember this date, June 24! Celebrate this with your Godchild, let them know you are with them on this walk. Check in with them, even when they are bigger than you, and see how their walk with Christ is going.

I listened very attentively. Ever since I converted and learned more about the beauty of the Catholic faith, I have hoped God would bless me with the role of Godmother. It reminds me of the first time I ever crossed myself. I had loved that moment so much, too. God has been good this year, bringing me a friend to sponsor through RCIA and also a little girl to be Godmother to.

It is the best of all worlds. The parents of my Goddaughter are good friends. Her mom and I share our spiritual journey and she has been one of those people God gave me that helps me grow in my faith. The family will welcome and encourage all efforts I make to help little G with her faith. J is Godfather to our nephew, but this is the first time we have been Godparents together and ti ties are families together in a beautiful way.

And when Fr. John said I was to help the parents, I just smiled. My friend has already helped me so much with my walk, and says I have journeyed with her, so we are already on that road. Many of our conversations are about how to handle this, solve that, approach this situation within and with the help of our faith.

I look at the role of Godparents and see again the beauty, depth and tapestry of the Catholic Church. How well it all fits together, celebrating life, brining the divine into our human existence.

Yesterday there were ten children being baptized. They ranged in age from 6 weeks to 3 years. One little guy cried during the beginning prayers and homily and I thought he is really going to be upset when that cold holy water hits his head. I also waited to see how the 3 year old would do.

As Fr. John baptized them one by one, and the were each lain back over the font, startled and feeling vulnerable, doused with water, there was not a single cry. There were many startled faces, but no crying. Was it luck? I think it was the graces of the sacrement.

It was a lovely day and as Fr. John said, write the day down. June 24th. Easy to remember....6 months before Christmas Eve. I am already planning how to celebrate next summer with little G and her family.

God is good.


P.S.- On the way home in the car B was laying out more reasons against the move. J has the prisioner he is mentoring, I am sponsoring my friend through RCIA and now we are both responsible for little G.

Nice to know he listenes to homilies. :)