59
life, helps us to appreciate the meaning and im-
portance of infant baptism. Children are not ca-
pable of accepting the faith by a free act, nor are
they yet able to profess that faith on their own;
therefore the faith is professed by their parents
and godparents in their name. Since faith is a re-
ality lived within the community of the Church,
part of a common âÂÂWeâÂÂ, children can be sup-
ported by others, their parents and godparents,
and welcomed into their faith, which is the faith
of the Church; this is symbolized by the candle
which the childâÂÂs father lights from the paschal
candle. The structure of baptism, then, demon-
strates the critical importance of cooperation
between Church and family in passing on the
faith. Parents are called, as Saint Augustine once
said, not only to bring children into the world but
also to bring them to God, so that through bap-
tism they can be reborn as children of God and
receive the gift of faith.
38
Thus, along with life,
children are given a fundamental orientation and
assured of a good future; this orientation will be
further strengthened in the sacrament of Confir-
mation with the seal of the Holy Spirit.
44.âÂÂThe sacramental character of faith finds its
highest expression in the Eucharist. The Eucha-
rist is a precious nourishment for faith: an en-
counter with Christ truly present in the supreme
38
âÂÂCf.
De Nuptiis et Concupiscentia
I, 4, 5: PL
44, 413:
âÂÂHabent quippe intentionem generandi regenerandos, ut qui ex eis saeculi
filii nascuntur in Dei filios renascanturâÂÂ.