Lola's Blessing
Beautiful Baby Blessing Ceremony with a water blessing.
Ceremony includes the participation of the Guardians and Grandparents.
Greeting
Officiant:
On behalf of Sean and Jill, I’d like to welcome you all here today! This is a very joyous day for all of us. It is a day in which we come together to take part in a ceremony to recognize, honor and welcome their beautiful baby daughter Lola into their family unit, and into the wider family of their relatives and friends.
Today is truly a celebration of love, and of life! As Lola is here today, she is new and perfect, with no need of fixing nor cleansing. She is a gift. Her smile, her laughter, and her presence enrich the lives of all who know her. Only 22 months old, and already she has made the world a better place.
This child is our future and represents the light of the world. Jill and Sean have honored all of you today by inviting you to not only witness this beautiful welcoming ceremony, but most importantly, to participate in the blessing of this child.
Lola comes from a wonderful family, with a rich and diverse cultural and religious heritage. There are many paths to becoming a good person, with a strong internal moral compass and a joy of living. It is such an exciting time and place we live in. Lola is free to learn from and embrace all sides of the spiritual paths that have come together, and will make her who she is.
Today we simply give thanks and celebrate all the many wonderful blessings Lola brings, and do our best to remember, and be thankful for, the very special role that we all have in her life.
Officiant:
On behalf of Sean and Jill, I’d like to welcome you all here today! This is a very joyous day for all of us. It is a day in which we come together to take part in a ceremony to recognize, honor and welcome their beautiful baby daughter Lola into their family unit, and into the wider family of their relatives and friends.
Today is truly a celebration of love, and of life! As Lola is here today, she is new and perfect, with no need of fixing nor cleansing. She is a gift. Her smile, her laughter, and her presence enrich the lives of all who know her. Only 22 months old, and already she has made the world a better place.
This child is our future and represents the light of the world. Jill and Sean have honored all of you today by inviting you to not only witness this beautiful welcoming ceremony, but most importantly, to participate in the blessing of this child.
Lola comes from a wonderful family, with a rich and diverse cultural and religious heritage. There are many paths to becoming a good person, with a strong internal moral compass and a joy of living. It is such an exciting time and place we live in. Lola is free to learn from and embrace all sides of the spiritual paths that have come together, and will make her who she is.
Today we simply give thanks and celebrate all the many wonderful blessings Lola brings, and do our best to remember, and be thankful for, the very special role that we all have in her life.
Moment of Remembrance
This event is shared, if in a different way, by those who have passed beyond this life. Their roles in the lives of Sean and Jill are gratefully remembered. They acknowledge and honor the bloodlines, the history and the people who have all gone into the creation of Lola. They remember what it felt to be with these loved ones, and that through shared memories Lola may come to know her ancestors and the lineage that is her birthright.
Opening prayer
Officiant:
So let us begin with a prayer of thanks:
This family has been blessed with a new life.
May Lola’s presence bring joy and gladness to the hearts of all who love her.
May she be blessed and protected through all of the wonderful and difficult things that the years will bring.
May she find goodness and inspiration, and be given the wisdom to discern the true from the transient.
May her life be rich and full, in wealth that is measured by both the physical and spiritual context of her existence.
May Lola be prosperous in all ways.
May she love well and be well loved.
Through each passage and season may she be surrounded by the warmth of family and friends.
And may her days be forever filled with love and happiness.
Amen.
This event is shared, if in a different way, by those who have passed beyond this life. Their roles in the lives of Sean and Jill are gratefully remembered. They acknowledge and honor the bloodlines, the history and the people who have all gone into the creation of Lola. They remember what it felt to be with these loved ones, and that through shared memories Lola may come to know her ancestors and the lineage that is her birthright.
Opening prayer
Officiant:
So let us begin with a prayer of thanks:
This family has been blessed with a new life.
May Lola’s presence bring joy and gladness to the hearts of all who love her.
May she be blessed and protected through all of the wonderful and difficult things that the years will bring.
May she find goodness and inspiration, and be given the wisdom to discern the true from the transient.
May her life be rich and full, in wealth that is measured by both the physical and spiritual context of her existence.
May Lola be prosperous in all ways.
May she love well and be well loved.
Through each passage and season may she be surrounded by the warmth of family and friends.
And may her days be forever filled with love and happiness.
Amen.
Naming
Officiant:
Names have always been a powerful part of our identity. They can represent the family to which we belong, or the part of the world from which we come and even some part of our personality.
There are three names by which a person is called:
One which their Father and Mother call them,
And one which people call them,
And one which they earns for themselves.
The best one of these is the one that they earn for themselves.
As Lola grows she will indeed claim her own titles and names, yet Sean and Jill have given her a name to begin her journey.
Officiant: To parents
What name have you chosen for your child?
Father: “We have chosen the name Lola”
Mother: “We have also chosen the name Dana, named in honor of her Great Aunt
Officiant: I congratulate you on the birth of your daughter Lola Dana.
Officiant:
Names have always been a powerful part of our identity. They can represent the family to which we belong, or the part of the world from which we come and even some part of our personality.
There are three names by which a person is called:
One which their Father and Mother call them,
And one which people call them,
And one which they earns for themselves.
The best one of these is the one that they earn for themselves.
As Lola grows she will indeed claim her own titles and names, yet Sean and Jill have given her a name to begin her journey.
Officiant: To parents
What name have you chosen for your child?
Father: “We have chosen the name Lola”
Mother: “We have also chosen the name Dana, named in honor of her Great Aunt
Officiant: I congratulate you on the birth of your daughter Lola Dana.
Parental Promise
Officiant:
Ladies and gentlemen, I am now going to ask Sean and Jill to make promises as parents in front of you, their family and friends, as such those who mean the most to them in the world.
Lola has honored you by choosing you as her parents. Therefore, honor her and remember that Lola is her own being with her own thoughts and feelings. She is a child of the universe and has been given many gifts from the Divine so that she can light the way for the future. Therefore, it is important for you to support her and protect her, so that her gifts may blossom and she can make this world better than it was before.
Do you promise to teach Lola not who or what, but how to love, to trust, to respect, and to dream so that she may truly participate in the remarkable journey that is life?
Parents: “Yes.”
That you will value her hopes and dreams and let her know that she will always be welcomed, accepted and loved for who she is and for who she is not?”
Parents: “Yes.”
To expose her to a variety of experiences, showing her the beginnings of many a wondrous journey, instilling in her a sense of wonder and passion, and the knowledge that she alone has the power to complete herself?
Parents: “Yes.”
To teach Lola right from wrong, to enable her to make her place in society as a kind and caring person?
Parents: “Yes.”
Officiant:
To teach Lola to celebrate diversity, never ever being aware of prejudice. Knowing no boundaries, to be loving of all that surrounds her in her life, and celebrate the similarities and differences in our world?
Parents: “Yes.”
Officiant:
Ladies and gentlemen, I am now going to ask Sean and Jill to make promises as parents in front of you, their family and friends, as such those who mean the most to them in the world.
Lola has honored you by choosing you as her parents. Therefore, honor her and remember that Lola is her own being with her own thoughts and feelings. She is a child of the universe and has been given many gifts from the Divine so that she can light the way for the future. Therefore, it is important for you to support her and protect her, so that her gifts may blossom and she can make this world better than it was before.
Do you promise to teach Lola not who or what, but how to love, to trust, to respect, and to dream so that she may truly participate in the remarkable journey that is life?
Parents: “Yes.”
That you will value her hopes and dreams and let her know that she will always be welcomed, accepted and loved for who she is and for who she is not?”
Parents: “Yes.”
To expose her to a variety of experiences, showing her the beginnings of many a wondrous journey, instilling in her a sense of wonder and passion, and the knowledge that she alone has the power to complete herself?
Parents: “Yes.”
To teach Lola right from wrong, to enable her to make her place in society as a kind and caring person?
Parents: “Yes.”
Officiant:
To teach Lola to celebrate diversity, never ever being aware of prejudice. Knowing no boundaries, to be loving of all that surrounds her in her life, and celebrate the similarities and differences in our world?
Parents: “Yes.”
To hold her close in your hearts always, yet still encourage her to stand on her own when the time comes so that she may discover her own true self?
Parents: “Yes.”
Poem:
I would like to share a poem that Sean and Jill have chosen for Lola.
To Lola from Mom and Dad:
We want you to be happy. We want you to fill your heart with feelings of wonder and to be full of courage and hope.
We want you to have the type of friendship that is a treasure - and the kind of love that is beautiful forever. We wish you contentment: the sweet, quiet, inner kind that comes around and never goes away.
We want you to have hopes and have them all come true. We want you to have a real understanding of how unique and rare you truly are. We want to remind you that the sun may disappear for a while, but it never forgets to shine. May the words you listen to, say the things you need to hear. And may a cheerful face lovingly look back at you when you happen to glance in your mirror.
We wish you the insight to see your inner and outer beauty. We wish you sweet dreams. We want you to have times when you feel like singing and dancing and laughing out loud. We want you to be able to make your good times better and your hard times easier to handle. We wish we could find a way to tell you - in untold ways - how important you are to us.
Of all the things we’ll be wishing for, wherever you are and whatever we may do, there will never be a day in our lives when we won’t be wishing for the best… for you.
Guardian Introduction
Officiant:
At this time I would like to ask Tim and Heather to come forward and stand by Lola.
A wonderful tradition in our culture on these occasions is the responsibility accepted by guardians. The guardians will undertake a special and lifelong interest in the welfare of Lola.
Today Heather and Tim have agreed to become involved in Lola’s life by promising to be there for her should she need support, wisdom, comfort and guidance.
They have been chosen by Sean and Jill because of their connection with them, and the family. The fact that they have been chosen by Sean and Jill, is an indicator of their position of trust, and respect within this family.
Officiant to Heather and Tim:
Will you as best as you can, help take care of Lola?
To encourage, guide and support her in all her endeavors,
Help her recognize the beauty within herself and all things,
And to become someday not the woman we wish for her, but the realization of her own hopes, dreams and the fulfillment of her soul?”
Guardians: “We will.”
May you always know how special you are to Sean and Jill that they would ask you to tend to the most precious thing that they have in this world.
To Grandparents
Officiant:
There is no other bond quite like that of a grandparent and their grandchild.
Grandparents are a family’s greatest treasure, the founders of a loving legacy, the greatest storytellers, and the keepers of traditions that linger on in cherished memory. Grandparents are the family’s strong foundation. They have a special love that sets them apart from anyone else. They are always there to love you unconditionally, to listen when you feel like you’re not being heard, and to give advice that is always wise and pure of heart.
Lola is honored to have Grandma Lynn, Grandpa and Grandma DeDominicis, and Great Grandpa G G . As well as Nana and Pop Pop and Great Grandma Gigi
Officiant to Grandparents: will you promise to support Lola, will you promise to play with her, spoil her to the best of your ability and share with her your wisdom and the memories of her ancestors? If so, please answer “We will”.
Grandparents say: We Will
Will you support Lola on her spiritual path, as well as, all other paths in her life? Will you promise to support the parents and guardians to fulfill their sacred promise? If so, please answer, “We will”.
Grandparents say: We Will
May you always be aware of how special the extraordinary relationship of trust and mutual enjoyment between child and grandparent is.
To friends and family
Officiant:
The Guardians & Grandparents do not stand alone this day. The presence and support of all of you, family and friends is needed for Lola to grow strong and balanced. Jill and Sean realize that the more love this child receives; the more she will be able to give love to other. The more people that make up her world, the richer her world will be.
Each of you possess such beautiful qualities and strength of character that have been a blessing to Jill and Sean’s life. Today we ask that you acknowledge your acceptance of the task of providing a supportive community to Lola. Through your presence and example, you will help her discover her own extraordinary talents and contribute them towards a better world. There are many paths and each must find their own. So do you agree to teach young Lola all the things you know to be true in your heart, so that when she is fully grown, she shall discover her own truths? She will know which path is hers and shall travel it with joy. Do you so accept this responsibility? If so, please answer “We will”.
**Friends and Family say “We will”
Parents: “Yes.”
Poem:
I would like to share a poem that Sean and Jill have chosen for Lola.
To Lola from Mom and Dad:
We want you to be happy. We want you to fill your heart with feelings of wonder and to be full of courage and hope.
We want you to have the type of friendship that is a treasure - and the kind of love that is beautiful forever. We wish you contentment: the sweet, quiet, inner kind that comes around and never goes away.
We want you to have hopes and have them all come true. We want you to have a real understanding of how unique and rare you truly are. We want to remind you that the sun may disappear for a while, but it never forgets to shine. May the words you listen to, say the things you need to hear. And may a cheerful face lovingly look back at you when you happen to glance in your mirror.
We wish you the insight to see your inner and outer beauty. We wish you sweet dreams. We want you to have times when you feel like singing and dancing and laughing out loud. We want you to be able to make your good times better and your hard times easier to handle. We wish we could find a way to tell you - in untold ways - how important you are to us.
Of all the things we’ll be wishing for, wherever you are and whatever we may do, there will never be a day in our lives when we won’t be wishing for the best… for you.
Guardian Introduction
Officiant:
At this time I would like to ask Tim and Heather to come forward and stand by Lola.
A wonderful tradition in our culture on these occasions is the responsibility accepted by guardians. The guardians will undertake a special and lifelong interest in the welfare of Lola.
Today Heather and Tim have agreed to become involved in Lola’s life by promising to be there for her should she need support, wisdom, comfort and guidance.
They have been chosen by Sean and Jill because of their connection with them, and the family. The fact that they have been chosen by Sean and Jill, is an indicator of their position of trust, and respect within this family.
Officiant to Heather and Tim:
Will you as best as you can, help take care of Lola?
To encourage, guide and support her in all her endeavors,
Help her recognize the beauty within herself and all things,
And to become someday not the woman we wish for her, but the realization of her own hopes, dreams and the fulfillment of her soul?”
Guardians: “We will.”
May you always know how special you are to Sean and Jill that they would ask you to tend to the most precious thing that they have in this world.
To Grandparents
Officiant:
There is no other bond quite like that of a grandparent and their grandchild.
Grandparents are a family’s greatest treasure, the founders of a loving legacy, the greatest storytellers, and the keepers of traditions that linger on in cherished memory. Grandparents are the family’s strong foundation. They have a special love that sets them apart from anyone else. They are always there to love you unconditionally, to listen when you feel like you’re not being heard, and to give advice that is always wise and pure of heart.
Lola is honored to have Grandma Lynn, Grandpa and Grandma DeDominicis, and Great Grandpa G G . As well as Nana and Pop Pop and Great Grandma Gigi
Officiant to Grandparents: will you promise to support Lola, will you promise to play with her, spoil her to the best of your ability and share with her your wisdom and the memories of her ancestors? If so, please answer “We will”.
Grandparents say: We Will
Will you support Lola on her spiritual path, as well as, all other paths in her life? Will you promise to support the parents and guardians to fulfill their sacred promise? If so, please answer, “We will”.
Grandparents say: We Will
May you always be aware of how special the extraordinary relationship of trust and mutual enjoyment between child and grandparent is.
To friends and family
Officiant:
The Guardians & Grandparents do not stand alone this day. The presence and support of all of you, family and friends is needed for Lola to grow strong and balanced. Jill and Sean realize that the more love this child receives; the more she will be able to give love to other. The more people that make up her world, the richer her world will be.
Each of you possess such beautiful qualities and strength of character that have been a blessing to Jill and Sean’s life. Today we ask that you acknowledge your acceptance of the task of providing a supportive community to Lola. Through your presence and example, you will help her discover her own extraordinary talents and contribute them towards a better world. There are many paths and each must find their own. So do you agree to teach young Lola all the things you know to be true in your heart, so that when she is fully grown, she shall discover her own truths? She will know which path is hers and shall travel it with joy. Do you so accept this responsibility? If so, please answer “We will”.
**Friends and Family say “We will”
Water blessing
Officiant:
Water has long been considered by many as the source of life…. Water is in and around all of us, and is also a symbol of the human spirit--- always in motion, never ceasing, only taking new forms…..
Every element needs water to grow and thrive, to even survive. The trees and flowers, the fish and the birds, and all of us…….. Water nourishes us, cleanses us, comforts us, and renews us.
So…..Because we believe and know in our hearts that Lola made her way onto this earth as a pure, innocent, and perfect soul, this ceremony is not intended to cleanse her from sin. It is instead to celebrate her life, and to signify our intentions to nourish her heart, her mind, her body, and her spirit…. to allow her life to flow in the direction she chooses each day, with the love and guidance of family and friends to help her find her way.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on the top of Lola’s head and says:
You are connected, protected, loved, and blessed.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on Lola’s forehead and says:
All your senses are blessed, protected, and awakened.
Officiant rubs the blessed water over Lola’s heart and says:
Your heart is blessed so that you may feel compassion for yourself and others.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on both of Lola’s hands and says:
Your hands are blessed so that you may reach out to the world.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on both of Lola‘s feet and says:
Your feet are blessed so that you may connect with the earth, be grounded, and stand your ground in this world. Know that your spirit is strong and it will guide you through this life.. Know that you are deeply loved and that your presence brings overwhelming joy.
Final prayer
(this prayer or blessing represents Lola’s life going forward)
Officiant:
Let us pray:
We thank you God, for the gift of this wonderful child.
We pray for the continued health of Lola.
We pray for her to be strong in mind and body.
To grow steadily and sturdily in a home filled with joy and love.
We pray for her to become a person who greets the world with passion, courage, humility, wisdom and humor
We pray for the ability of Sean and Jill to love, nurture, understand, provide for, and educate Lola.
We pray for God to watch over us, our family, and our community. Amen
Closing words and send off
Officiant:
Dear Little One, we welcome you with love,
And ask for these Blessings to flow from Above,
As you go on your journey live life well every day,
Be mindful of these Blessings gently guiding your way.
And so with abiding confidence and affection, we send you forth on your journey of life.
Amen
~End of Ceremony~
Officiant:
Water has long been considered by many as the source of life…. Water is in and around all of us, and is also a symbol of the human spirit--- always in motion, never ceasing, only taking new forms…..
Every element needs water to grow and thrive, to even survive. The trees and flowers, the fish and the birds, and all of us…….. Water nourishes us, cleanses us, comforts us, and renews us.
So…..Because we believe and know in our hearts that Lola made her way onto this earth as a pure, innocent, and perfect soul, this ceremony is not intended to cleanse her from sin. It is instead to celebrate her life, and to signify our intentions to nourish her heart, her mind, her body, and her spirit…. to allow her life to flow in the direction she chooses each day, with the love and guidance of family and friends to help her find her way.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on the top of Lola’s head and says:
You are connected, protected, loved, and blessed.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on Lola’s forehead and says:
All your senses are blessed, protected, and awakened.
Officiant rubs the blessed water over Lola’s heart and says:
Your heart is blessed so that you may feel compassion for yourself and others.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on both of Lola’s hands and says:
Your hands are blessed so that you may reach out to the world.
Officiant rubs the blessed water on both of Lola‘s feet and says:
Your feet are blessed so that you may connect with the earth, be grounded, and stand your ground in this world. Know that your spirit is strong and it will guide you through this life.. Know that you are deeply loved and that your presence brings overwhelming joy.
Final prayer
(this prayer or blessing represents Lola’s life going forward)
Officiant:
Let us pray:
We thank you God, for the gift of this wonderful child.
We pray for the continued health of Lola.
We pray for her to be strong in mind and body.
To grow steadily and sturdily in a home filled with joy and love.
We pray for her to become a person who greets the world with passion, courage, humility, wisdom and humor
We pray for the ability of Sean and Jill to love, nurture, understand, provide for, and educate Lola.
We pray for God to watch over us, our family, and our community. Amen
Closing words and send off
Officiant:
Dear Little One, we welcome you with love,
And ask for these Blessings to flow from Above,
As you go on your journey live life well every day,
Be mindful of these Blessings gently guiding your way.
And so with abiding confidence and affection, we send you forth on your journey of life.
Amen
~End of Ceremony~
