THE RITE OF INFANT BAPTISM

When all is ready the priest washes his hands and puts on, over his cassock, a surplice and purple stole. If assistants are available he should take one or more with him, and they too should be vested in surplices. He proceeds to the church door where those who have brought the child await his arrival.

He asks first (unless he already knows) whether the child is from his own or another parish, whether it is a boy or a girl, whether for any reason it has already been baptized at home, and if so by whom and how. He enquires who are to be the godparents, and instructs them in what to do during the ceremony, and how to make the responses.

He should make sure that the name chosen for the child is not frivolous and unworthy of a Chris­tian, but rather the name of one of the saints of God whom the child can learn, later on, to imitate and look to for protection.

The child, having been named, is held, if a child in arms, on the right arm of whoever carries it dur­ing the ceremony.

The priest then addresses the child by name, and asks:

N. What do you ask of the Church of God?

The godparent replies: Faith.

Priest: What does Faith offer you?

Godparent: Life everlasting.

Priest: If then you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments. 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.'

He blows gently with his breath into the face of child and says:

Go forth from (him), unclean spirit, and give place to the Holy Spirit, the Para­clete.

He traces the sign of the cross with his thumb the forehead and upon the breast of the child, saying:

Receive the sign of the cross upon your fore Xhead and upon your X heart. Know that you are bound now by a heavenly rule of life, and let your conduct henceforth prove you fit to be a living temple of God.

Let us pray.

Hear our prayer, Lord God, and guard this chosen servant N. May Thy strength never fail (him) now, for we have traced upon (him) the sign of Christ's cross. May (he) always remember what (he) learns of Thy greatness and Thy glory

May (he) keep Thy commandments and be worthy too, to have glory, the glory of new life in Thee. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

He places his hand on the child's head saying:

Let us pray.

Almighty, everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, look upon this Thy servant N., whom Thou hast called to the first lessons of the Faith. Drive out of (him) all blindness of heart; break the bonds of Satan which have bound (him). Open to (him), O Lord, the door of Thy mercy. Steeped in this symbol of Thy wisdom may (he) no longer be tainted with evil desires, but rather spread about (him) the fragrance of thy commandments, as (he) serves Thee happily in Thy Church and grows holier with each passing day. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

Then he blesses the salt. Once blessed it may be kept for use on further occasions.

I adjure thee in the name of God the FatherX almighty, in the love of Jesus Christ X our Lord, in the power of the Holy X Spirit. I adjure thee through the living, X true X and holy X God, the God X who made thee for the well-being of the human race, and commanded thee to be hallowed by his servants for the use of those who come to the knowledge of him by faith. In the name of the Holy Trinity, through Thee may Satan be put to flight. Wherefore, O Lord our God, we beseech thee, sanctify X this salt, and bless X it; and make of it a sovereign remedy to linger within the inmost being of all who partake of it. In the name of that same Lord Jesus Christ, who is to come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

R. Amen.

He puts a little of the blessed salt into the mouth of the child, and says:

N. Receive this salt, learning from it how to relish what is right and good. May it make your way easy to eternal life.

R. Amen.

V. Peace be with you.

R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

God of our fathers, O God with whom all truth begins, look upon Thy servant N. who now has tasted salt as the first nourishment at Thy table. Do not leave (him) hungry. Give to (his) soul food in abundance, that (he) may be eager, hopeful and lighthearted in the service of Thy Name. Lead (him) we pray thee, to the waters of new Life, that, with all who are faithful to thee, (he) may merit the eternal rewards Thou hast promised. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

I adjure thee, unclean spirit, in the name of the Father X and of the Son X and of the Holy XSpirit to depart and remain far away from this servant of God N. He commands thee now who walked dry-shod upon the waters, and when Peter would have perished in the sea stretched out to him his saving hand. And so, accursed spirit, I give heed to the sentence passed upon thee. Give honour to the living and true God, give honour to Jesus Christ His Son, and to the Holy Spirit, and begone from this servant of God N.; for God and our Lord Jesus Christ in his goodness has called (him) to his holy grace and blessing and to the waters of baptism.

He traces the sign of the cross upon the forehead

of the child saying:

And this sign of the holy Cross X, which we put upon (his) forehead, do thou, foul spirit, never dare to violate. Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

He places his hand upon the child's head and says:

Let us pray.

Holy Lord and Father, almighty and eternal God, author of light and of truth, we ask Thy never­failing and kind fatherly love for this Thy servant N. Enlighten (him) in thy goodness with the light of Thy own understanding. Cleanse (him) and sanctify (him); give (him) true knowledge; that made worthy by the grace of Thy Baptism (he) may be endowed with unwavering hope, sound judgement and a firm grasp of holy doctrine. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

The priest places the left-side end of his stole upon the child and leads him into the church, saying as he does so:

N. Come into the temple of God, that your lot may be with Christ in life eternal.

R. Amen.

When they have entered the church, the priest leads the way to the font, saying aloud meanwhile together with the godparents:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Before entering the Baptistery he stands with his back to the baptistery gates and says:

I adjure you, each and every unclean spirit, in the name of God the Father X almighty, in the name of Jesus Christ X his Son, our Lord and our Judge, and by the power of the Holy X Spirit, to be gone from this image of God N., whom our Lord in his goodness has called to his holy temple that (he himself) may become a temple of the living God, and the Holy Spirit may dwell in (him). Through the same Christ our Lord, who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.

R. Amen.

The priest touches the ears and the nostrils of the child with his thumb moistened with saliva and as he touches first the right and then the left ear he says:

Ephpheta, which is: Be thou open.

Then as he touches the nostrils he says:

To the sweet fragrance about you. As for thee, evil spirit, get thee gone; for God's judgement is upon thee.

The priest questions the child saying:

N. Do you renounce Satan?

Godparent: I do renounce him.

Priest: And all his works ?

Godparent: I do renounce them.

Priest: And all his pomps ?

Godparent: I do renounce them.

The priest dips his thumb into the oil of cate­chumens and anoints the child upon the breast and between the shoulders in the form of a cross, saying:

I anoint you with this X saving oil in Christ Jesus our Lord, that you may have eternal life.

R. Amen.

With cotton wool he wipes his thumb and the places anointed.

He lays aside the purple stole and takes a white one. Then he enters the baptistery followed by the godparents with the child.

There at the font he addresses the child by name:

N. Do you believe in God the Father almighty, creator

of heaven and earth?

Godparent: I do believe.

Priest: Do you believe in Jesus Christ his only

Son, our Lord, who was born into this world and

who suffered for us ?

Godparent: I do believe.

Priest: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting?

Godparent: I do believe.

And then again calling the child by name the priest asks:

N. Are you willing to be baptized?­

Godparent: I am.

While the godparent (or godparents) hold the child, the priest takes baptismal water and pours it thrice over the head of the child in the form of a cross, at the same time saying once only, distinctly and with attention:

N. I baptize thee in the name of the Father (he pours once)

and of the Son (he pours again) and of the Holy Spirit (he pours a third time)

If there should be a doubt whether or not the child has been baptized, the following form is used:

N. If thou art not baptized, I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The priest dips his thumb into the sacred Chrism and anoints the child on the crown of the ­head in the form of a cross saying:

May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given you new life through water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven you all your sins (here he anoints the child) himself anoint you with saving X Chrism in the same Jesus Christ our Lord, that you may have eternal life.

R. Amen.

Priest: Peace be with you.

V. And with your spirit.

With cotton wool he wipes his thumb and the place anointed. He places upon the child's head the white linen cloth representing a white garment, saying:

Take this white garment, and see that you carry it without stain before the judgement seat of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you may have eternal life.

R. Amen.

He gives a lighted candle either to the child or to the godparent saying:

Take this burning light and keep true to your baptism throughout a blameless life. Keep the commandments of God; that when the Lord shall come like a bridegroom to his marriage feast you, in company with all the Saints, may meet him in the heavenly courts, and there live for ever.

R. Amen.

When all is done he says:

Go in peace N. and the Lord be with you.

R. Amen.