很多父母喜歡安排未足歲的子女在聖誕節受洗，讓他們與救主基督一起「誕生」；基督誕生在世上，他們的兒女誕生在天上！這是一個蠻有意義的選擇。不過，有沒有人，包括父母或神職人員，考慮過選擇今天，「諸聖嬰孩殉道慶日」，為嬰兒施洗，慶祝他們誕生在天上呢？
作為一個有信仰的父母，嬰兒洗禮是毋庸置疑的。天下間哪有父母不把最好的東西供給自己的子女呢？那些說讓兒女長大後，按他們自己的理性選擇加入那一個教會，纔是尊重他們的信仰自由云云，是不負責任的托辭！試問作為父親的，會不會尊重子女的自由，讓他們長大後選擇自己的姓氏，選擇嬰兒時吃的奶粉，入讀哪所幼稚園等等呢？這樣做不是先後本末倒置了嗎？固然，他們長大後選擇改投別的教派，或者改變他們的性別，我們會心痛，會怪責自己未盡父母教養子女的負責。所以，嬰兒洗禮不是問題，問題是兒女的信仰培育。
從兒女的角度看，他們尚有很多事物需要學習，尤其是對成年人的信任。他們祗知滿足生理的需要，探索接觸四周的事物而不懂如何選擇，確實有賴成年人為他們選擇安排並教導他們，直到他們長大成人，懂得如何待人接物，明辨是非為止。那時，他們便可以為自己的選擇，負上責任，甭父母為他們操勞了。
在毫無選擇的情況下，白冷的嬰兒成了犧牲祭品，（瑪2:16）他們的生命被剪斷了，喪失了探索和成長的機會。當然，這次殘殺下一代的行為，罪不在父母，而在暴君大黑落德一人身上。可是，那些拒絕為嬰兒施洗，不帶領子女參加主日學，或者千方百計安排子女入讀名校，而非天主教學校的父母，何嘗不是扼殺了子女的信仰生命嗎？一個殺死嬰兒的肉體，一個殺死嬰兒的靈魂，哪一個的罪行更嚴重呢？甭多說了吧！
諸聖嬰兒，請為天下公教父母向天父轉禱，願他們明白及有勇氣負上培育子女靈性生命的責任。亞孟。
Killing Body vs. Killing Soul (Matthew 2:13-18)
Many parents like to have their infant children baptized on Christmas day so that they "were born" with their Saviour on the same day, Christ on earth and their children in heaven! This is a very interesting choice. However, have any parents or ministers ever thought of choosing today, Feast of the Holy Innocents to baptize their babies, to celebrate their birth in heaven?
As Catholic parents, infant baptism is unquestionable. Which parents on earth do not choose the best things for their children? Those who argue to allow the children to grow up and make a rational choice which church to join is a respect their freedom of religions are being irresponsible. Ask which father if he would respect his children's choice to select their surnames after they have grown up, which baby-formulae they would choose to feed or which kindergartens to attend? In doing so, are they putting the cart before the horse? Of course, parents' hearts should ache when their grownup children switch to another denomination or change their genders. They would blame themselves for not teaching their children properly. Thus, infant baptism is not the problem. Faith formation of children is.
From the perspective of infants, they still have a lot of things to learn, especially trusting the adult. They only know to satisfy their basic needs, to explore the environment and do not know how to choose. Truly, they rely on adults to make choices for them and teach them until they grow up and know how to relate with others, to tell right from wrong. Then, they can make their own choices, be responsible and parents can have no more worries.
Without choice, the Bethlehem infants became sacrifices (Matthew 2:16). Their lives were cut short and lost the opportunity to grow and explore. Of course, the guilt of killing the next generation should not be laid on parents but on a single tyrant, Herod the Great. However, are parents who refuse to baptize their infants, or bring them to Sunday school, or try hard to enter an elite school rather than a Catholic school not smothering the spiritual life of their children? Killing the body of an infant vs killing the soul of a child, which sin is worse? Need we to say more?
Holy Innocents, intercede our Father for all Catholic parents so that they understand and have the courage to take up the responsibility of forming the spiritual life of their children. Amen.
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