Baptism is the one sacrament that most Christians have in common.
Ever since the day of Pentecost, the Church has celebrated and administered Holy Baptism. In the Catholic Church, infants (usually newborns) and adults are baptized with water, symbolizing “the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” for it brings about “the birth of water and the Spirit without which no one can enter the kingdom of God”.
Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission…
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1213
In Sacred Scripture, St. Peter declares to the astonished crowd, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The Apostles offered Baptism to anyone who believed in Jesus: Jews, pagans, the God-fearing.
Always, Baptism is seen as connected with faith: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household,” (Acts 16:31) St. Paul declared to his jailer in Philippi. And the Scripture continues, the jailer “was baptized at once, with all his family” (Acts 16:33).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains why the Church baptizes infants:
Born with a fallen human nature and tainted by original sin, children also have need of the new birth in Baptism to be freed from the power of darkness and brought into the realm of the freedom of the children of God, to which all men are called. The sheer gratuitousness of the grace of salvation is particularly manifest in infant Baptism. The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1250
If an adult has not been baptized when coming into the Catholic Church, he or she is usually baptized during the liturgy of the Easter Vigil. Again the Catechism explains this:
Since the beginning of the Church, adult Baptism is the common practice where the proclamation of the Gospel is still new. The catechumenate (preparation for Baptism) therefore occupies an important place. This initiation into Christian faith and life should dispose the catechumen to receive the gift of God in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist.
What to Write for a Child’s Baptism Card
A Baptism, whether for an infant or for an adult, is an important occasion to celebrate. There are many ways to share warm wishes for someone receiving the sacrament. The following are some of the messages that can be added to a card or written to go alongside a gift:
May Jesus, who loves all children, bless your precious little one with His love and grace on the special day of his baptism. I am praying for your child that he/she grows close to Our Lord throughout his/her life!
What a blessed and happy day! We are sending love and best wishes for [insert name]’s baptism! May God continue to bless him/her throughout his/her life!
Warmest wishes on [insert name]’s baptism day. I am praying for [insert name] and I look forward to watching him/her grow as a child of God.
Congratulations on your little one’s baptism. May today be filled with love for your special child, who is newly filled with God’s grace.
Wishing your family love and blessings and may your child’s faith remain pure and steadfast throughout his/her whole life! Congratulations on [insert name]’s baptism!
We are sharing in your joy and offering a special prayer for your child on his/her baptism day. May your child’s heart always be filled with the love of the Creator. Congratulations on [insert name]’s baptism!
The Bible says a lot about baptism, and the sacraments are a wonderful opportunity to share Scripture with family and friends.
Here are some verses that might be appropriate for a baptism card (along with some accompanying messages):
May he/she “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 3:18. Looking forward to watching your child grow in love for Jesus!
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” Jeremiah 29:11. We can’t wait to see God’s plans for [insert name] unfold as you/he/she grows!
What to Write for An Adult’s Baptism Card
Do you know an adult who is being baptized into the Catholic Church? Are you wondering what to write in a card?
You could begin by saying, “I am praying for you on your special day. Congratulations on being made new in Christ!” and then end with one of these verses:
[F]or in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Galatians 3:26-27
Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.
2 Corinthians 5:17
[H]e saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit…
Titus 3:5
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4
Here are some other messages for an adult being baptized:
- “Rejoicing with you as you celebrate your baptism. May you always be assured of God’s presence during the good times and through the bad times, too. Congratulations on this most blessed occasion.”
- “Wishing you many blessings on this sacred occasion. Remember that you always remain a child of God. May He protect you now and always!”
- “Thinking of you on the occasion of your baptism and praying for God’s blessings as you begin your new life in Christ.”
Because of the nature of the sacrament, it is appropriate and meaningful to give a spiritual gift on the occasion of a baptism. You can find some wonderful gift ideas from The Catholic Company here (many can also be personalized). Find baptism gifts for adults here.
If you’d like to purchase a baptism card, you can find them here.
Like the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Orders, as a Catholic, you are baptized only once! This sacrament confers an indelible mark on your soul that remains forever.
Cards and spiritual gifts remind all of us that baptism, as the greatest gift we could receive, should be celebrated with joy!
