The breathtaking frescos of the Sistine Chapel were the backdrop against which Pope
Benedict celebrated Mass on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It was also a joyous
occasion for a number of parents who witnessed the Pope baptize their children.
The
Holy Father, however, also had a message for the parents and godparents of these 16
babies and that was the importance of education.
To educate is a very challenging
mission, said the Pope, and it is sometimes difficult for our limited human capacities.
But he added, “education becomes a wonderful mission if it is done in partnership
with God, who is the first true educator of every man.
Drawing on Sunday’s
Gospel during his Homily, Pope Benedict explained that John the Baptist was a great
teacher to the disciples, but he knew their was someone mightier than him who would
baptize the people with the Holy Spirit. He witnessed in favour of Jesus.
The
Pope went on to describe parents as “channels” through which the lifeblood of the
love of God passes. If that channel distances itself from the Lord, said Pope Benedict,
then a Mother and Father lose the ability to educate.
The Holy Father also
underlined the importance of the Holy Spirit saying, "It is very important for you
parents, and also godfathers and godmothers, to believe strongly in the presence and
action of the Holy Spirit, and welcome and invoke the Holy Spirit through prayer and
the sacraments.”
“Prayer, the Pope continued, is the first condition to educate,
because in prayer we give ourselves to God, we entrust our children to Him, who knows
them before and better than us, and knows exactly what their true good is. “
With
prayer and the Sacraments, said Pope Benedict, parents will be able to discern the
most appropriate way to educate their children; when to be tender or firm and when
to keep silent or to correct.
At the conclusion of this joyous day for many
of those gathered the Holy Father asked the Holy Spirit to come down the new baptised
children, so that Jesus can accompany them on their life’s journey. Listen to Lydia
O'Kane's report