Christening Vs. Baptism

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. - Acts 2:38

So what is the difference between Christening vs. Baptism? It is said that all Catholics are born with the original sin, the sin committed by Adam and Eve because of which they were thrown out of the Garden of Eden by God. By receiving the sacrament of Baptism, we enter into the kingdom of God and become anointed members of the Church. The original sin is forgiven and we are born anew into the Christian faith.

Difference Between Christening and Baptism
Many use the terms Baptism and Christening interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two terms. Baptism is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The seven sacraments (Baptism, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders and the Anointing of the Sick) are of great significance in the Catholic Church. Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, as we are born of the water and the Spirit. Baptism is necessary for salvation as Jesus has said in John 3:3-7, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again." It conveys an eternal sign that the Individual is now a child of God. Jesus Christ himself was baptized by John, the Baptist in the Jordan River. Christening, on the other hand, refers to the naming ceremony and does not have any religious connotations. Christening refers to the naming of something or someone. The religious Baptism ritual and the non-religious ceremony of Christening are public celebrations of a child.

A new baby is like the beginning of all things - wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.~ Eda J. Le Shan. If your baby is going to be baptized, then here are a few interesting ideas for invitations so that your friends and loved ones can join you in celebrating this special occasion.

Baptism Invitations
You can customize your newborn's Baptism invitation by adding a cute photo of your bundle of joy along with beautiful wordings. If you are willing to experiment, you can put in some witty or funny quotes as well. Pictures along with quotes or as a watermark in the background can include crosses, white Christening gowns, baby pictures, candles, angels, church scenes, etc. For the invitation wordings, you can choose to keep it simple by just mentioning the name of you newborn and the date, time and venue of the celebrations or jazz up the invite by putting in rhyming verses or a few creative lines, you can also put in a nice touch by having Bible verses or quotes from the Bible as well.

Examples:

"Let the children come to me... for to such belongs the kingdom of God." Luke 18:16 A precious gift from heaven above is awaiting to be welcomed into Christ's family with love. You are invited to attend the Baptism of our son/daughter (name) on (date and day) at (time) (venue) R.S.V.P. (your name and telephone number)

You are cordially invited to grace us with your presence for the Baptism of (name of child) Venue: .................... Date: ...................... Time: ...................... and thereafter join us for lunch at (Mention Address) R.S.V.P. Tel: ................. Email .............

Christening Ceremony
The Christening ceremony is when you name your baby. The child will be known by this name for the rest of his/her life. You must have selected the baby's name with a lot of care or most probably decided on a name even before the baby was born. Though finding a suitable name is important, other things like arranging the ceremony and Christening etiquette cannot be ignored. An important part of the preparations is the Christening outfit. There are gorgeous gowns for the baby girls and there are cute Christening outfits for boys as well. These white outfits will make your newborn look like an angel, but this should be thought of well in advance or there may be problems regarding the availability of the type of outfit you prefer or the correct size as well. You need to take care of the shoes, socks, bib, hat, blanket and other accessories as well. Also, do not ignore the child's comfort. If you are looking for gifts, then the perfect Christening gifts include a monetary gift that will be helpful in the child's education and future, a bracelet or necklace with the child's name or initials inscribed on it. The Holy Bible also can be gifted, which will be a symbol of the strengthening of the faith the child has been born in. Other Christening gifts can include baby clothes, toys, etc. You can make this event a memorable one by putting in various innovative and creative ideas.

Hope this article helped in clearing the concept of Christening vs. Baptism and has also given you some ideas on how to make the Christening ceremony of your little angel a memorable and special one.