Baptism is one of the most important sacraments in the Catholic Church as it is a foundation for someone to start his journey of faith as Christian. This sacrament presupposes all other sacred rites. Baptism is the gateway to life with Christ and with the Church as the first sacrament of initiation. For it is so important, the form of the rite in liturgy is one of the most important things to talk and to reflect upon. From my point of view as Indonesian living in Manila, I can see some nuance happened in the rites of Baptism between these two countries.
The baptism rite happened in St. Francis Xavier parish here in Manila had included all of what are essential written in CCC. More than that, it was a sacred and beautiful sacrament witnessed by all members of community. The ritual is more than just a formal ceremony; it is a celebration of faith, a reaffirmation of the family’s commitment to raising the child in the Christian faith, and a moment of spiritual renewal for everyone present. Each gesture and symbol carry a deep meaning not only for the baptized but for the community.
One aspect that stands out to me and creates a question is the role of godparents. I’ve never seen in Indonesia that one baptized have more than one person or a couple of godparents. It makes me ask in my mind if that is really necessary for the baptized. As I reflect upon it and ask this question to lay Xaverian who help teaching the catechumens, I realize that in Filipino culture, it seems that more godparents reaffirm and strengthen the chance of fulfilling the responsibility of godparents as not just ceremonial figures but as spiritual mentors and even second parents to the child. This reminded me of how important the role of godparent in the communal faith of Catholic as we are always connected to each other in this journey of faith.
The other question is on how short the catechesis for the baptism is. The baptized were only prepared in 3 months prior. If I’m not mistaken, there is even a shorter preparation for the weekly baptism. This makes me wonder if this preparation enough for the baptized to understand the mystery of our faith in the Catholic church. I assume that there are many obstacles to do give a better catechism and one of them is that we lack number of catechist and so many people in the Philippines need to be baptized. Therefore, reflecting upon this, as I learned that the main actor of baptism is the Holy Spirit himself, I pray that he is the one who will guide the baptized even if the preparation is not perfect.
Moreover, the symbolism in the rite itself – the water, the white garment, and the lighted candle – functions not only to make the ceremony more beautiful but as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of faith. They remind me that baptism is not just a one-time event but a beginning of a lifelong journey of faith. This journey started with water symbolize our new born life with Christ and death of our sinful life, white garment symbolizes our transformation to a white pure heart, and small fire of candle symbolize the light of Christ and Holy Spirit in our life that have to be continually kept.
In conclusion, the ritual of baptism with all of the forms and matters involved can’t invoke any meaning in our life without our openness to the spirit living and working in the sacrament. That’s why it is important for the catechism in preparation for the baptism to be done as best as we can. But more important than this, we also believe that the Holy Spirit is the main actor of baptism even since before the ritual itself. The Holy Spirit invokes the desire for the catechumens to be a member of the Catholic church, helps in perfecting the preparation, and works and speak by means of all forms and matters involved in the rituals.
