As the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord, teach your class about the sacrament.
By Patricia Mathson
From 70 Sacrament Starters for Children, a lesson about baptism.
We are baptized with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as a sign of life with God. All living things need water to live and grow.
We are anointed with special oil with the sign of the cross.
This is to give us strength to live as disciples of Jesus in all we do and say. The anointing is an outward sign that we are marked for Christ.
We receive a white garment or wear one because we are a new creation in Jesus Christ through his life, death, and resurrection.
A baptismal candle is lit from the paschal candle. This symbolizes the light of Christ in our lives. During the rite the priest tells the parents and godparents to help the child walk always in the light of Christ.
With the Children
Take the children on a trip to church to see the baptismal font.
Display a candle and a white garment. Tell them where the oils are kept. Explore together the symbols of the sacrament of baptism — especially water, oil, a white garment, and light — to give the children visual reminders of their baptism.
Encourage the children to put their hand in the font and make the sign of the cross as a remembrance of their own baptism and as a promise to live as disciples of Jesus in their lives. Explain that each time we enter and leave the church we make the sign of the cross with holy water as a reminder of our baptism.
Excerpted from 70 Sacrament Starts for Children and Those Who Teach Them, by Patricia Mathson (2008) Published by TwentyThirdPublications.com. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
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