B
Bibbit
Guest
I was pondering infant baptism recently because a Protestant neice and nephew just had their son’s “presentation” ceremony, and I teach CCD at my parish and baptism always comes up. I came up with the following thoughts and was wondering what others here think. I’ve shortened it as much as I could, I hope I didn’t cut out too much.
Sanctifying grace was a gift given to Adam and Eve. A gift which had they not sinned would have been passed on to their progeny. Their progeny were meant to have this gift. They would have recieved this gift not as an inheritance at the death of Adam and Eve but rather as a sort of birthright granted to them at conception. Hence Cain and Abel would have not only been born with this grace, but even more so they would have been conceived with it. However, Adam and Eve did sin, and as such they lost this gift of grace not only for themselves, but for their progeny as well. Like the millionaire who squanders his fortune and has nothing to give his children (and grandchildren, etc), Adam and Eve squandered their grace and were left with nothing to give. Jesus comes along and he, as the new Adam, restores this gift. Jesus even does it one better. Whereas Adam and Eve could only pass on this gift if they remained in the state of grace, Jesus gives parents the power to pass on this gift even if they themselves are not in the state of grace. Just as the offspring of Adam and Eve were meant to have this grace, ours too are meant to have it. Thanks to Jesus we can now pass it on to our children through the sacrament of baptism.
I’ve posted elsewhere here about how much I enjoy pondering Jesus and Mary and their relationship to Adam and Eve. I believe it’s no coincidence that the lives of Jesus and Mary at times mirrored that of Adam and Eve, and that where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus and Mary did not. I think this fits in nicely with those beliefs. Then again, maybe I’m just a fool.
Sanctifying grace was a gift given to Adam and Eve. A gift which had they not sinned would have been passed on to their progeny. Their progeny were meant to have this gift. They would have recieved this gift not as an inheritance at the death of Adam and Eve but rather as a sort of birthright granted to them at conception. Hence Cain and Abel would have not only been born with this grace, but even more so they would have been conceived with it. However, Adam and Eve did sin, and as such they lost this gift of grace not only for themselves, but for their progeny as well. Like the millionaire who squanders his fortune and has nothing to give his children (and grandchildren, etc), Adam and Eve squandered their grace and were left with nothing to give. Jesus comes along and he, as the new Adam, restores this gift. Jesus even does it one better. Whereas Adam and Eve could only pass on this gift if they remained in the state of grace, Jesus gives parents the power to pass on this gift even if they themselves are not in the state of grace. Just as the offspring of Adam and Eve were meant to have this grace, ours too are meant to have it. Thanks to Jesus we can now pass it on to our children through the sacrament of baptism.
I’ve posted elsewhere here about how much I enjoy pondering Jesus and Mary and their relationship to Adam and Eve. I believe it’s no coincidence that the lives of Jesus and Mary at times mirrored that of Adam and Eve, and that where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus and Mary did not. I think this fits in nicely with those beliefs. Then again, maybe I’m just a fool.
