Pope Francis' Homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Pope Francis presided over the Holy Mass in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Pope administered the Sacrament of Baptism to 32 children. After the reading of the Gospel, the Holy Father gave the following homily.

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Jesus had no need to be baptized, but the first theologians say that in His Baptism, with His body and His  divinity he blessed all the waters, so that the waters would have the power to give Baptism. And then, before ascending to Heaven, Jesus told us to go out to the whole world to baptize. And from that day until today, this has been an uninterrupted chain: children were baptized, and then their children, and then these children’s children … And today also, this chain continues.

These children are a link in the chain. You, parents, have a baby boy or a baby girl to be baptized, but in a few years, they will be the ones who will have a child or a grandchild to be baptized. So is the chain of faith! What does this mean? I would like to say only this to you: you are the ones who transmit the faith, the transmitters. You have the duty to transmit the faith to these children. The faith is the most beautiful inheritance you will leave them! Only this. Take this thought home with you today. We must be transmitters of the faith. Think of this, think always how to transmit the faith to the children.

Today the choir is singing, but the most beautiful choir is this one of the children, who make noise. Some will cry because they are not comfortable or because they are hungry. If they are hungry, mothers, give them to eat, don’t worry, because they are the protagonists here. And now, with this awareness of being transmitters of the faith, we continue the ceremony of Baptism.

[Copyright 2013 – Libreria Editrice Vaticana] [Translation by ZENIT]
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