I have a cousin named Abby who is a year older than I am. Abby is a very devoted Christian--she goes to Church every Sunday, attended Bible school when she was young, and taught Bible classes to preteens the past few summers. I think her parents, my aunt and uncle, have been inspired by Abby's devotion to God and Christianity. My uncle now reads the Bible and has favorite quotes from Scripture, and their whole family attends mass together on a regular basis. Overall, they are just a very caring, generous family. They always put others needs before their own, and they do not place much value on material objects. Abby has been an inspiring role model not just for her immediate family, but for our extended family as well. We all admire her for taking time out of her life to teach others about God, and for devoting hours to prayer and helping those in need.
Baptism can be the entrance into the church for parents as well as children. Since parents are around their children daily, caring for them, feeding them, and looking out for their best interests, kids can be viewed as an extension of parents. Therefore, when the children are welcomed into the Church community, the parents are being invited in with them. When the priest washes away a baby's original sin, the parents are sort of being cleansed from their sins and mistakes. The Church views the parents as figures present to guide the newest member of the community by keeping them close to God. The parents take on the challenging, yet rewarding responsibility of walking their children through a Christ-filled life.
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