Editor's note: This is the third in a series of monthly articles by the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.

In every infant baptism, one sacrament "lands" and two others "take off." When you take your Joey or Juanita to be baptized, s/he is truly Christ-ened, but also receives down payment on the two other sacraments that make us complete Catholics: Communion and confirmation.

Infant baptism has changed since most of us were baptized. No longer do we baptize within just a few days of birth. Unless the child is in danger, we now wait for the mother to recover well so that she can participate. And we need time to prepare the parents and godparents for the baptism.

As expectant parents go through training for the birth of their babies, so do Catholic parents train for the rebirth of their babies. Wives learn to read the signs of their bodies. Husbands learn to coach breathing and to use the baby seat. They choose names. They get the baby's room ready. Family members lend outgrown clothing. Friends host a baby shower.

The Church also showers the parents with the gifts: nearly 2,000 years of experience in raising children, encouraging examples from the saints, rich rites that go deeper than words, God's very Word in word and sacrament. Is it really any wonder why we ask parents to prepare for their child's baptism with at least the same amount of care they have prepared for her/his birth?

Sunday is the ideal day for baptism and the Sundays of Easter are in the ideal Sundays for baptisms, because the Church tells us that all baptisms have an Easter Sunday 'feel' to them: alleluias, flowers, and visual and musical treats for all. (We baptize in Lent only when there is a real necessity.)

Infant baptisms at Sunday Mass?
Yes, "but this should not be done too often," say the "rules." Why? Three reasons:

---First, the prayers of the Mass for the Baptism of Children (MBC) replace the prayers for Sundays in Ordinary Time (SOT), and the readings of the MBC may replace the readings of the SOT.

---Second, we must avoid giving even the appearance of favoring the families of the children baptized at Mass over those baptized outside of Mass.

---Third, we must not overload-and-lengthen the regular Sunday Mass. (Infant Baptisms at the Easter Vigil? Yes, ideally; but we have to be kind to the infants and their parents.)

Something on your mind?
Worried for your little one
how fragile life is
into what a world have we brought this lovely one
how long a life and what kind of life will s/he have
what darkness will s/he know and do
and wanting the best for her, for him
Endless Life from the Living One
Risen Life from the Once-dead One
Family Life from the Lord and Giver of Life
Light from Light
you arrive at the door of your parish church.

Welcome home!
The rite of baptism begins with song at the door of the church, outside (weather permitting). Some assembly is required: "It should be conferred in ... the presence of the faithful, or at least of relatives, friends, and neighbors, who are all to take an active part in the rite."

The celebrant wears the "glad rags" of the church (the rules say, "vested in alb or surplice, with a stole (with or without a cope) of festive color," not to decorate the celebrant but to honor the occasion!). The rules also mention ministers (cross and candle bearers, and at least one reader) and song (hence a cantor). Hospitality is a must; some attendees will feel a call to come/return to the Church when they are treated with care.

The celebrant greets everyone. He asks the names of the children and reminds parents and godparents of their responsibilities. Then it is time to name and claim each child for the Crucified One. His cross "marks the spot."

Fanning the flame of faith
Then all, except the babies (!), sing their way through the doors of the church to the ambo for the Liturgy of the Word.

"And where, pray tell, do the babies go?" Relatives take them to the nursery, while undistracted parents sit to hear divine and human words directed toward stirring up their faith and toward praying in common for the fruits of baptism. Baptism is the sacrament of faith; and, although it works from the work worked ("ex opere operato"), baptism is fruitful only when there is faith "in the room," so to speak.

This part of the liturgy ends with a litany of the saints sung in reverse, petitions first, saints last. As the cantor sings the names of the saints, including their patron saints, the babies are carried back and all process to the font.

Oil of Salvation, Water of Life
Now the celebrant may take the oil of catechumens and anoint the baby's chest to enable her/him to slip out of the grasp of the tempter (in the Christian East, the baby is anointed from head to foot). With the prayer and help of all present, the celebrant then solemnly blesses the water of the font.

Parents and godparents now renew their baptismal renunciation of sin and profession of faith. It is in the faith of the parents, godparents and the assembly that the child is baptized. This is why the church must postpone the baptism of any infant when there is the "complete absence of any well-founded hope that the infant will be brought up in the Catholic religion."

An extraordinary paragraph from the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults tells us the meaning of what happens next:

"Immediately after their profession of living in Christ's paschal mystery, the elect come forward and receive that mystery as expressed in the washing with water; thus once the elect have professed faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, invoked by the celebrant, the divine persons act so that those they have chosen receive divine adoption and become members of the people of God" (n. 212, emphasis added).

"The divine persons act." I've read hundreds of liturgical documents but I have never read anything so simply breathtaking. Joey, Juanita - they now belong to God's family and to ours. They now live with a capital "L." No wonder we want to sing!

Oil of Gladness: A little dab'll do ... for now!
The Church's most sacred oil, chrism, is now brought to the celebrant who applies a little of this fragrant oil to the crown of the baby's head. It is noteworthy that the prayer he prays does not mention the Holy Spirit. This is because the chrisming at infant baptism is only a down payment on the chrismation at confirmation, when the fullness of the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit will be poured out on Joe and Juana. (The Christian East seals the forehead, eyes, nose, ears, lips, chest, back, hands and feet, when they confirm.)

White garment, lighted candle
It is not only ironic that the Church now clothes the reborn baby with a white garment (every mother knows how hard it is to keep a baby clean). The church says: "With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring this dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven." It takes a village....

Similarly the celebrant almost puts a lighted candle into the baby's hands! (Do you notice how their eyes open wide to the light?) With words similar to those prayed at the deathbed, the celebrant says:

"Parents and godparents, this light is entrusted to you to be kept burning brightly. These children of yours have been enlightened by Christ. They are to walk always as children of the light. May they keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts. When the Lord comes, may they go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom. "

The celebrant may now touch the baby's ears and mouth - in that order - with his thumb, opening their ears to receive God's word, and their mouths to proclaim the faith.

Singing our way to the altar
It's time for the last procession in the rite of infant baptism. We gather around or before the altar for the beginning and the end of the Communion rite of Mass without the Communion itself, a Communion rite that will end at the child's first Communion!

This is the reason why we sing the Our Father to our Abba on behalf of little Saint Joey and little Saint Juanita. This prayer of their brother Jesus will be the first prayer they learn by heart.

Blessing the mothers and fathers and the entire assembly, the celebrant then invites everyone to sing a song of thanksgiving and Easter joy, ideally Mary's song, the Magnificat, punctuated with alleluias.

The party has just begun.

Dr. Paul F. Ford has been professor of theology and liturgy at St. John Seminary, Camarillo, since 1988. He is the author of "By Flowing Waters: Chant for the Liturgy" (Liturgical Press, 1999) and the convener of the five-member Collegeville Composers Group, authors of "Psallite: Sacred Song for Liturgy and Life" (Liturgical Press, 2005-present). In 1995 he received the Laudatus Award for 1995 "for excellence in the promotion of the liturgical life of the parishes and the people of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles." The Commission is eager to learn from the parishes who implemented most or all of the ideal rite of infant baptism, especially those parishes with great numbers of infants. Please contact Dr. Ford: paulfford@stjohnsem.edu.