My dear family, brothers and sisters,
Today, we are not just gathered for a beautiful family
celebration. We are standing on holy ground. Because what is about to happen in
the waters of Baptism is nothing less than a miracle of grace.
When we look at Jeremian and very children present here
today, we see innocence, possibility, a future waiting to unfold. But today,
God sees something even deeper. He sees His beloved. He sees a son or daughter
marked for eternity.
Because in Baptism, something invisible but very real takes
place. God claims this child.
You know, in our world today, identity is something people
spend years trying to figure out. “Who am I? Where do I belong?” But today,
before Jeremian can even ask those questions, God answers it.
“You are mine.”
That is the first and most important truth of Baptism.
This is not just a naming ceremony. This is not just a
tradition we inherited. This is a divine encounter.
Through water and the Holy Spirit, Jeremiah is washed, not
just physically, but spiritually. The Church teaches us that even the wound of
original sin is healed here. And what takes its place? Grace. God’s very life.
Imagine that. God is not waiting for a child to grow up to
love Him. God is already pouring His love into every child being baptized at that
moment.
And so today, heaven rejoices.
But my dear friends, Baptism is not just a moment, it is a
beginning.
It’s like lighting a candle. We will that that symbol today.
A flame will be given, representing the light of Christ. But a flame is meant
to be protected, nurtured, and allowed to grow.
And this is where we all come in for the Mom and Dad… Lolos
and Lolas… Ninongs and Ninangs… family and community.
You are not just witnesses today. You are guardians of this
child’s faith.
Jeremiah will not remember this day. But we will. And more
importantly, our lives will become the memory of God for Jeremiah.
The way we pray.
The way we forgive.
The way we love.
The way we trust God in difficult moments.
That is how Jeremiah will first encounter Jesus.
You see, faith is not taught first by words, it is caught by
the heart.
And so the real question is not just, “Will Jeremiah, and
our children grow in faith?”
The deeper question is, “Will we live a faith worth catching?”
Because one day, our children will ask, maybe not in words
but in life: “Is God real?”
And the first answer they will see… is you.
So today, as we celebrate, let this also be a gentle
invitation for all of us.
Maybe some of us were baptized long ago, but somewhere along
the way, we drifted. Life happened. Faith became routine… or maybe even
forgotten.
To remember that we, too, were once carried to the font.
We, too, were claimed.
We, too, were called beloved.
And that identity has never been taken away.
My dear family, today God will plant a seed in Jeremiah’s soul.
A seed of divine life. It will grow but it needs sunlight. It needs water. It
needs care.
Let us be that environment.
Let us be a family where prayer is not strange… where love
is not withheld… where forgiveness is not delayed… where Jesus is not just
spoken about but lived.
And to my dear grandchild…JEREMIAH…..
You may not understand this now. But one day, you will come
to know that before you ever reached out to God….. He already held you close.
Before you ever spoke His name….. He already called you His
own.
And today, in the quiet mystery of water and Spirit, He has
written your name… in His heart.
And that, my dear friends, is a love that will never fade.
Amen.
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