Pope Francis: ‘I like to think that the first sermon of Jesus in the stable was a cry’

The pontiff baptized 28 babies today to mark the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus—and delivered a brief homily that evidently was interrupted, of course, by crying babies.

The text, in part: 

You have asked for faith: The Church gives faith to your children through Baptism. And you have the task of making it grow, protecting it so that it becomes a witness to everyone. This is the meaning of this ceremony. This is all I wanted to tell you: guard and treasure the faith, make it grow, so that it become a witness to others.

And now … the concert begins! [the babies begin crying]: It is because the children are in an unfamiliar place, and they got up earlier than usual. One begins and sounds the note and then the others mimic [imitate]… Some cry simply because another has cried… Jesus did the same thing! Did you know that?

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