The Messages Our Baptized Children Need to Hear

The reading from Isaiah 49 today is one of my favorite verses in the Bible: You are my servant, through whom I show my glory. Now the Lord has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb.

This verse is the essence of who we are.

Like Jesus, we the baptized are His. We were formed as His servants in the womb. We are meant to serve, brought here for a special purpose. We are vessels through whom God shows His glory.

I think one of the most important things you can do as a parent of a child is reveal to that child that they have a special purpose, that they are God’s child and will be God’s servant someday, through whom God will show His glory in their unique gifts and talents. They were chosen to come into this world to do something special for God.

I didn’t get that message until I was an adult. I didn’t view my gifts through that lens growing up and making educational decisions about where I took my life. I didn’t start pondering my purpose until my thirties. And this concept of being a servant of the Lord’s? I’m still struggling with viewing life through the lens of serving. It’s hard work, demanding, and tiring. I grew up thinking a life of faith was just about going to church and praying. But no, it’s so much more than that.

These are the messages that are so important for children to grow up hearing. They prepare them for the realities and rewards of being a Christ follower. Too often, teaching the faith to our children just becomes going to mass each week and maybe giving them a Catholic education, but we don't make faith actionable and "real" for them in terms of what it means for their purpose as a human being. Then those same children land in jobs they hate, feeling like they have no purpose, not understanding their worth, and don't see the value of service.

So when you go to baptize that child of yours, I hope you think of this reading today and take to heart what you need to teach your child about what it really means to be a Christ-follower as they grow up:

You are chosen to be in this world.

You are God’s servant.

You have a special purpose.

Life is about serving God and God’s people with your unique gifts and talents.

You are a vessel through which God shows His glory.