We have a beautiful baptism font at the front of our sanctuary. It's a big marble font with a portion of one side "hewn out," allowing the water to cascade down the side into a pool at the base. Every year at Easter, our pastor has the catechumens dress in brown robes & they have to stand down in the pool to be baptised. He pours 3 big jugs of holy water over their heads, drenching them. The choir sings something as they get "bathed;" then they disappear for a moment behind the sanctuary only to reappear clothed in a white robe. Very dramatic.
I'm with melody. No doubt the water ran over the forehead here. However, isn't Father supposed to trace the forehead, not douse it? I'm glad she's not wearing a white t-shirt. I do hope she has a bra on.
After the Baptism, everyone retired to the sauna to dry off and then it was on to the seaweed wrapping table for an additional purification ritual.
I really don't like my church's baptismal font. It's really a baptismal hot tub. (Everyone always gets mad at me when I call it that. They roll their eyes at me and dismiss my comments. They think it's the bees knees of baptismal fonts, apparently) It kind of grosses me out to dip my hand in there. I personally think that the brown robes, white robes ceremony that we have at Easter Vigil is over dramatized and embarrassing. I can't watch. The water is warm and it reminds me of testing the water at the hot tub at the gym or something. The church's old font is now standing in the "gathering space" on display. I think it's a shame.
Oh, and one Sunday, when they had a baptism during Mass (but I didn't know that before Mass started), my baby threw a brown m&m in the font. We were giggling all throughout the baptism that that baby got a little "extra" in their baptism!
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I agree. This is a little over the top.
ReplyDeleteTo my knowledge, you don't have to ride a wave to get baptized, do you?
That would freak me out. My HAIR, oh Lord, my HAIR!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I guess no one could say it wasn't valid because she didn't get her head wet! (I agree we could do without the theatrics).
ReplyDeleteWe have a beautiful baptism font at the front of our sanctuary. It's a big marble font with a portion of one side "hewn out," allowing the water to cascade down the side into a pool at the base. Every year at Easter, our pastor has the catechumens dress in brown robes & they have to stand down in the pool to be baptised. He pours 3 big jugs of holy water over their heads, drenching them. The choir sings something as they get "bathed;" then they disappear for a moment behind the sanctuary only to reappear clothed in a white robe. Very dramatic.
ReplyDeleteI'm with melody. No doubt the water ran over the forehead here. However, isn't Father supposed to trace the forehead, not douse it? I'm glad she's not wearing a white t-shirt. I do hope she has a bra on.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Baptism, everyone retired to the sauna to dry off and then it was on to the seaweed wrapping table for an additional purification ritual.
I really don't like my church's baptismal font. It's really a baptismal hot tub. (Everyone always gets mad at me when I call it that. They roll their eyes at me and dismiss my comments. They think it's the bees knees of baptismal fonts, apparently) It kind of grosses me out to dip my hand in there. I personally think that the brown robes, white robes ceremony that we have at Easter Vigil is over dramatized and embarrassing. I can't watch. The water is warm and it reminds me of testing the water at the hot tub at the gym or something. The church's old font is now standing in the "gathering space" on display. I think it's a shame.
ReplyDeleteOh, and one Sunday, when they had a baptism during Mass (but I didn't know that before Mass started), my baby threw a brown m&m in the font. We were giggling all throughout the baptism that that baby got a little "extra" in their baptism!