Rev. Susan Varon, Taos Officiant of Love

 

An Interfaith, Non-Denominational, Intercultural Ceremony YOUR Way

 
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BABY BLESSINGS AND NAMING CEREMONIES

A BABY BLESSING/NAMING CEREMONY is an occasion for great celebration, gratitude and joy. It is an opportunity to give thanks for the miracle of new life, to support the mother and father in stepping into parenthood consciously, with love and clarity. It is an opportunity to celebrate the innate wisdom and perfection of the soul that is incarnated in your baby, and sanctify its entrance into this world.

It would be my joy to help you explore your intentions and your vision for your child, and design with you a ceremony that reflects your values and goals.

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SAMPLE BABY BLESSING/NAMING CEREMONY

Place: The parents’ home, or the home of a grandparent, friend, or other relative. The intention is to create an atmosphere of reverence and love within a safe space.

Prepare in advance: Position a small table to serve as an altar so that it is facing a semi-circle of chairs for all guests. Dress the altar with a light-colored shawl or scarf. In the center, place a large candle inscribed with the baby’s full name, and smaller candles for each of the grandparents (if any), Godparents, and siblings (if any). A small bowl of water should be placed at the side. Parents may place any additional objects that have special meaning for the family on the altar as well. Matches should be available.

Music (optional): An appropriate piece of instrumental music may be played quietly in the background as people gather.

Minister This is an occasion of pure joy! Welcome, ________ and __________
(parents), welcome, _____________ and _____________, __________
and ______________ (grandparents), welcome to each and all
who have come to greet and celebrate this wondrous one and welcome
her into the circle of humanity.

Let us pray. O God, Source of all good, we come together to thank and praise you, on behalf of the community of all souls, for the entrance of this new being of light into our world. May we always be aware of her source in the world of the infinite, so that we may reflect back to her this knowledge of her true identity. May all who have come together to bless this child be themselves blessed a hundredfold. Amen.

I would now ask the parents to come forward with the child. (They do so.)
__________ and _____________, have you chosen a name for this child?
(The parents respond.)
(Addressing the child) _______________, with joy in my heart, I name you today with the names chosen by your parents. I honor the spirit within you.
Minister lights the large central candle.

Would the grandparents now come forward. (They do so; parents remain standing holding the baby.)
Dear Ones, you are truly blessed today. Would each of you in turn please
light a candle from the central candle that is already burning……in loving recognition of the light that shines within___(baby’s name)___………….
and then gather round __________, ___________ and ___________
and, with hands upraised in blessing, repeat after me this prayer of
love and dedication:

Mother-Father God, our cup runneth over. We thank you for blessing
our family with ____________; we promise to love her, and to support
our children __________ and ___________in caring for the needs of her body, mind and spirit. We trust that you will show us how to be the grandparents You would have us be, how to be true guides to her spirit and her heart. Amen, it shall be so.

(Minister asks if Grandparents would like to express their hopes, wishes and blessings for the baby, and they may do so now.)

Parents and grandparents remain standing around the minister.

Minister: And now, would the Godparents come forward, please. (They do so.)
Would each of you in turn please light a candle from the central candle that is already burning……in recognition of the light that shines within
___(baby’s name)___ (They do so.)

Yours is a great and beautiful responsibility. By saying yes to God-parenting this child, you have stepped within the hallowed circle of parents [siblings] and grandparents, and yet you are separate from them.
Your responsibility is to _______________, no one else. In choosing you, the parents have honored you with great trust. They are trusting you to hold the vision of ________’s true nature as a perfect child of God, to hold it close to your heart, and let that vision be your guide. If there are times you feel called upon to speak up, on behalf of the highest and best good of _____, they are trusting that you will speak up. They are trusting that, if necessary, you will be there to help her love, trust and respect herself. In essence, they have chosen you to be _________’s spiritual parents.

Please gather around __________, ___________ and ___________
and, with hands upraised in blessing, repeat after me this prayer of
love and dedication:
Divine Source of All Good, We accept this sacred trust, placed upon us by _________ and _________, knowing that all guidance, wisdom and love comes through us from You, that we can surrender-- and we do, right now--to your grace and your loving power. Guided by You, we will watch over _______’s unfolding, bearing witness to her growth in wisdom, we will be her wise friends in the many years to come. Amen, it shall be so.

(Minister asks if Godparents would like to express their hopes, wishes and blessings for the baby, and they do so.)


Minister: One of the best pieces of advice to parents I’ve ever heard comes from
Mahatma Ghandi. It is this: “Your life is your message to your children.”
How you live it, what you value more and what less, it is this from which your child will learn the most indelible lessons.

________ and _________ (parents), we rejoice with you in the birth of this beautiful child. We are here to support you, understanding that
___________’s birth is a rite of passage for this family. We lovingly support your understanding that ____________ is an individualized expression of the life force, born to walk her own path, live her own journey.

And if we are ever absent in a particular instance when you need our support, Please call on us! We are never so busy that we wouldn’t consider it a privilege to be asked to drop everything and lend an ear,
a hand, a shoulder.

And now I invite all of you to join me silently in this prayer for ______
and __________ (parents): Beloved Mother-Father God, You have gifted ________ and __________ with this miracle daughter, _____________.
We know, however, that you are not stepping away now that you have delivered the gift, we know that, on the contrary, you are the source of all continuing joy, blessing and assistance, the wellspring of love, patience and strength. We know that it is your ardent wish to be called on every minute, every hour, every day and to welcome _____ and _______ into co-creatorship with You. We know they do not have to answer the questions and solve the problems on their own. Plant in their hearts this knowingness. Amen.

_______________(minister uses child’s full name), I bless you, on behalf of all who are assembled here (minister dips three fingers in the bowl of water, brings them to his lips where he kisses them and then ever-so-gently touches the baby on her forehead) and express our abiding love for the holy light that you embody.
Water is a symbol of life, and of the Soul, a symbol of connection to the source, our source, which is Spirit.

You may all be seated.
“When a baby is born,” says Kenneth Patton, “it is the symbol of all birth and life, and therefore all people must rejoice.”
And so we do rejoice mightily!


We now reaffirm our collective wishes for ________________. _____________, may you always remember where you came from. May you remember to listen carefully to your own heart and to the hearts of others. May you follow your own truth to your Life Dream. May it be your joy to make this earth a better place to live. May you bring your gifts and talents forward every day without hesitation or reservation. * May you always remember that your true nature is Love.

Let us bow our heads in prayer.

Dear Father-Mother God,
We know that your nature is Love. And we know that, as ______, ___ and ______ leave this ceremony of blessing today, and walk out to continue their lives in the world, your love is with them, your blessing and your guidance are with them. May that knowledge always rest secure in their hearts.
Amen.

______________________________________________________
* excerpted from “Dear Children of the Future” by Angeles Arrien
in Prayers for a Thousand Years

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