Baptism and Confirmation

I had the extreme pleasure of attending the Baptism and Confirmation of my friends' son, for whom they travelled all the way to Guatemala a week before Christmas.  He is a beautiful child, and the Maronite Rite's ceremony for Baptism and Confirmation is absolutely wonderful, complete with a procession around the church with incense and chanting and a really neat exorcism!  The beautiful boy did not understand much (his English is still coming along), but he smiled broadly when Father chanted and sang.  He also liked riding on his father's shoulders during the procession, which made up for the unpleasant sensation of being held horizontal over the Baptismal and having water poured on his head.  (No tears, but he was clearly unhappy with the situation.)

I might post a picture that does not include the family's faces (to protect their privacy), but I'll have to see what I came up with when I upload those pictures.