They don't want to BAPTIZE me, they say that I'M JUST A CHILD' «« »» [Dialogue inspired by Acts 8, 26-38]

They don't want 

to BAPTIZE me,

they say that 

I'M JUST A CHILD'

«« »» 

[Dialogue inspired by

Acts 8, 26-38] 

_____________________________

MEDICINES FOR THE FAITH 

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ETHIOPIAN: Master, I want to be baptized to receive Jesus Christ, but how can I if I'm just a child?

PHILIP: Why do you say you can't, my Ethiopian friend?

ETHIOPIAN: Because my mom, who goes to her cult almost every night, tells me that you can only baptize adults. But one question, Philip. why do I have to wait so long?

PHILIP: Friend, you don't have to wait. Your mom has good intentions but surely she received very little information about the Christian faith. There is evidence in the Bible and in history that children could be baptized, but your mom still doesn't know it, and I'm going to tell it to you.

Let's begin with the Bible:

When we baptize a child they are given the biggest and the most beautiful gift of all: to belong to Christ (1 Cor 6. 19) [1]. There were occasions where entire families were baptized and that can be found in Acts 16, 14-15 (Lydia's entire family baptism); in Acts 16, 33 (the Warden's family); in Acts 18. 8 (Crispus' entire household), and in 1 Cor 1, 16 (household of Stephanas). St. Paul says in Col 2, 11-12 that "In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead." If baptizing children was banned Paul would have said it here. Baptism replaces circumcision, which was done at an early age (Gen. 17. 12; Lev 12. 3); that gave children the opportunity to participate in baptism and to shed their fleshly body and be clothed in Christ (Gal 3: 27). Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had ordered him (Gen 21,3-4) and even Jesus himself was circumcised when he was eight days old (Luke 2: 21). In conclusion, nowhere in the Bible says it is forbidden to baptize infants.

ETHIOPIAN: Why prevent children from being part of the body of Christ when He himself said :: "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." (Mk 10: 14)?

PHILIP: That's what I have asked myself, Ethiopian. Why deny children the grace to join the body of Christ if we know from Scripture that by this sacrament we become part of His Body? Even the Scriptures say that thru baptism "... for we are members one of another. " (Ephesians 4, 25) How can we imagine the Body of Christ, His Church, made only by adults and young people without the presence of children?
If in His statements about children, Jesus Christ warns adults about the demands to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, this allow us a glimpse and infer into the children's capabilities and rights to participate in this grace.

[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1269

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Text: Father Hector Pernia, sdb, mfc.
Date: 09.20.2014.
Translation: Pedro Sanchez

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