Chapter 31

After Lucifer had gone and Michael and Asmodeus sat back and thought about the event that just played out before them.
"You are going back to do your duties aren't you?" Micheal said
"You think I should?" Asmodeus replied
"You need to do this, it's your responsibility," Micheal said
Asmodeus went over to the couch and sat down, resting his back on the seat and running his hands through his hair.
Micheal went over and sat beside him, ran his hands through Asmodeus' hair and said
" At least Lucifer isn't bugging you with your Lance quest he just asked that you do your job, which in my opinion I feel you need to do, abandoning your purgatory duties isn't only affecting the balance of hell, bit of heaven and Earth as well, Imagine the workload and stress this had put on the Angel assigned to you, and you must be really fancied, to not have been tabled before the Father," Micheal said
"Who is the Angel assigned to work the purgatory duties with me," Asmodeus asked
Michael stood up from the couch and walked toward the table
"No don't say it, don't tell me it's you?" Asmodeus said
"Yes it's me, I have been trying to cover for you, but there is so much I can do and I can't perform the demon part of the purgatory duties" Micheal shot back. "It's time for me to go, and you need to think about it move up and take charge of your tasks," Micheal said
"Fine but I will have to wait for the gang to be back first before I take any action," Asmodeus said as he got up and moved towards Micheal, and gave him a passionate kiss on the lips, and he wrapped his arms around him and looked at him with so much love and passion, they kissed again and Michael went out the door and left.
Asmodeus picked up the door Lucifer had kicked down and fixed it, went to the fridge and took out a bottle of root beer, he went to the couch, sunk in it and took a big swig then lay his head back to rest.
Back in Minnesota, I had just met my mom, Auntie Rose, Father Nathan and young Amy, they were having a function in the church, it was the day of infant baptism, which was handled by father Nathan.
Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration and initiation into the church that was begun by Jesus, who accepted baptism from St. John the Baptist and also ordered the Apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). According to the teaching of St. Paul, which draws an analogy with the death and Resurrection of Jesus, baptism is the death of a former life and the emergence of a new person, which is signified by the outward sign of water (Catholic baptism involves pouring or sprinkling water over the candidate’s head). Baptism is understood, therefore, as the total annulment of the sins of one’s past and the emergence of a totally innocent person. The newly baptized person becomes a member of the church and is incorporated into the body of Christ, thus becoming empowered to lead the life of Christ. Nothing but pure natural water may be used, and baptism must be conferred, as Jesus taught, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism is normally conferred by a priest, but the Roman Catholic Church accepts baptism conferred in an emergency by anyone, Catholic or non-Catholic, having the use of reason “with the intention of doing what the church does.” In the spirit of Vatican II, which acknowledged the validity of any baptism that is “duly administered as Our Lord instituted it”, the church has recognized as valid the baptisms of a wide range of non-Catholic churches.
As the sacrament of rebirth, in which the baptized person is made new and permanently sealed with the spiritual mark of belonging to Christ, baptism cannot be repeated. The Roman Catholic Church baptizes conditionally in cases of serious doubt of the fact of baptism or the use of the proper rite, but it no longer approves of the conditional baptism of miscarried or stillborn infants.
Two points of controversy still exist in modern times. One is baptism by pouring or sprinkling water on the head rather than by immersion of the entire body, even though immersion was probably the biblical and early Christian rite. The change almost certainly occurred during the spread of Christianity into Europe north of the Alps and the usual occurrence in early spring of the baptismal feasts, Easter and Pentecost. The Roman Catholic Church simply asserts that the symbolism of the bath is preserved by a ritual infusion of water.
The second point of controversy concerns the baptism of infants. There is no certain evidence of this practice earlier than the 2nd century, and the ancient baptismal liturgies are all intended for adults. There is, however, extensive testimony suggesting the introduction of infant baptism as early as the 1st century. The Apostle Paul compares baptism with circumcision, the Jewish rite initiating male infants into the religious community. Other early Christian writers provide evidence of the practice: Tertullian rejected it, thus suggesting its widespread use, and Origen spoke of infant baptism as an established practice. It became the norm by the 4th century and remained so until the 16th century when various Protestant groups rejected it. It remains the practice of the Roman Catholic Church and many mainline Protestant churches.
The long-standing liturgy of infant baptism, however, indicates the importance of an independent adult decision; without this decision, the sacrament cannot be received. The Roman Catholic Church accepts this principle by introducing adults (sponsors, godparents), who make the decision for the infant at the commission of the parents and are given the responsibility of ensuring the child’s Christian upbringing. The responsibilities of parents and godparents have received great emphasis in the church’s rite of baptism for children, which was first promulgated in 1969 and subsequently revised. It is expected that, when they grow up, children who have been baptized will accept the decision made for them and will thus fulfil and validate the adult decision that was presumed.
Traditionally, one of the justifications for infant baptism was the popular and learned belief in children’s limbo (limbus infantium). Although discussed by theologians, including Aquinas, the doctrine of limbo was never formally pronounced by the church. From the 12th century, however, it was commonly believed that the souls of children who die unbaptized go to limbo, where they experience neither the torments of hell nor the joys of heaven. In the 20th century, belief in limbo became rare, and the church taught that unbaptized infants are entrusted to the mercy of God and Jesus, who said
Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mark 10:14)
Baptism has been a symbolic way of joining the Church from the very start of Christianity. Water is used in baptism and is a symbol of washing away sin and the start of a new life.
Many denominations baptise infants. Although ceremonies are similar, there are some important differences between them.
During the infant baptism ceremony:
the baby, parents and the godparents are welcomed
there are readings from the Bible
the parents and godparents take vows, renounce Satan and evil and profess their faith and the faith they want the baby to be brought up in
the Apostles’ Creed might be said as a statement of faith
water is poured over the baby’s head as the minister says: I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (in Orthodox Churches, the baby is briefly put completely under the water)
godparents are sometimes given a lighted candle to represent the light of Jesus that has come into the baby’s life
for the ceremony, parents may dress their baby in a special white garment
The baptism ceremony also allows parents and godparents to make a promise before God to bring the baby up within the faith of Christianity.
After the ceremony was over, you could see parents and godparents swoop out of the church in masses of various groups, with the newly baptized babies.
I had been waiting for them at the house, I wanted to go into the church too but you know the Demons can't so I had to seat out and wait for them and when they returned, I and my mom went out for a walk.