Pope Francis: Baptism a ‘new birthday,’ faith the ‘greatest gift’ for children

Vatican City, Jan 12, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Sunday celebrated the feast of the Baptism of the Lord by baptizing 21 babies in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and praying the Angelus with pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square. 

Before baptizing the babies of Vatican staff and Swiss Guards on Sunday morning, the Holy Father said parents must serve children with sacraments and prayers.

“Today, each of you, parents, and the Church herself give the greatest, greatest gift: the gift of faith to children,” he told families gathered inside the Sistine Chapel.  

“Let us ask the Lord that they grow in faith, a true humanity, in the joy of the family,” he prayed.

In his Jan. 12 Angelus address, the Holy Father said Christians should know and celebrate the date of their baptisms as a “new birthday” that commemorates their “birth in the Spirit of God.”  

“This is very important! Think: on what day was I baptized? If we don’t remember, when we get home, let’s ask our parents and godparents the date of our baptism,” he said to hundreds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

“Don’t forget! This is a job to do at home: the date of my baptism,” he insisted. 

Recalling Sunday’s liturgy of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Holy Father said during his Angelus address: “In revealing himself as Father through the Son, God establishes a privileged place to enter into dialogue and communion with humanity. It is the face of the beloved Son.”

The pope said Christians should be able to recognize God by contemplating “the face and voice of God” through the humanity of Jesus Christ and through other baptized people.

“So let us ask ourselves: do we feel loved? Do I feel loved and accompanied by God or do I think that God is distant from me?” he asked pilgrims. “Are we capable of recognizing his face in Jesus and in our brothers and sisters? 

After praying the Angelus with pilgrims from the window of the Apostolic Palace, the pope asked people to continue their prayers for those in need around the world.

“I am close to the inhabitants of Los Angeles County, California, where devastating fires have broken out in recent days. I pray for all of you,” he said. 

“Let us also invoke his intercession as we pray for peace in Ukraine, in the Middle East and throughout the world,” he added.

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261525/pope-francis-baptism-a-new-birthday-faith-the-greatest-gift-for-children