Q: One of my parishes has our first infant baptism in many years scheduled for the First Sunday of Advent. There is only one Sunday Mass in this parish, so I have to bless the wreath at the same Mass as the baptism. Would I bless and light the first candle on the Advent Wreath after the celebration of baptism, per Order of Baptism of Children paragraph 328?
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A: There’s no clear answer for this because in the Book of Blessings 1517-1520, the wreath blessing concludes the prayer of the faithful, and at a baptism during Mass, the conclusion to the prayer of the faithful is omitted. If I were you, I’d probably insert the wreath blessing after the litany of the saints and before the exorcism and anointing before baptism. It seems a little odd, but it honors the normal flow of things.