Sébastien, soon to be baptized: ‘I said yes to Jesus’

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” These are the words that thousands of catechumens around the world are preparing to hear on Easter night when they are baptized. Throughout Lent, Aleteia is sharing with you the stories of some of these men and women, who are happy to become children of God. Read all of the testimonies here. 

Born into a fiercely anticlerical French family, nothing predestined Sébastien to knock on the door of the Church. Yet, at the age of 51, he will soon be baptized during the Easter Vigil on April 21.

“As a child, I had felt something quite strong, a feeling of a benevolent presence. I had buried it deep inside me because I didn't know how to explain it,” he says. Now an adult and the father of three children, he still harbors deep in his heart the certainty that God exists.

“Jesus knocked patiently and regularly on the door, but I never opened it,” he says. And then one day, at the age of 48, he made up his mind. “I was walking and I went into a small church near my home,” says Sébastien. “That day, I made the decision to open the door, take the plunge and get baptized.”

That same evening, he broke the news to his wife and children. While they welcomed the news, Sébastien's parents reacted badly to the announcement of his decision. But it didn't matter; he was sure of himself. After having buried the call of the Lord for years, he now wanted to answer it. “I didn't talk to anyone about it, but I finally surrendered. I said ‘yes’ to Jesus. Too bad if they don’t like it. At my age, I don't care what people think,” he said.

When he began the catechumenate, Sébastien experienced a profound upheaval, which prompted him to turn to others. “From the moment I started reading the Bible, I told myself that I had to be less selfish,” he explains.

Sébastien became a volunteer at Secours Catholique - Caritas France, and took part in outreach visits. “My first visit was extraordinary: my view of people changed. I saw their experiences, their weaknesses but also their strengths, their humanity."

Sébastien says that his decision didn’t fundamentally change his life, but rather his way of seeing things. ”I understood that forgiveness was the foundation. There was a before and after. The change is internal; it’s very profound.”

His way of living the Gospel is to live simply as a Christian in the little things of everyday life. “It’s not he who shouts the loudest who believes the most. For me, bearing witness is about setting an example,” he assures us.

Sébastien is experiencing another great joy within his family. His daughter, the youngest, also asked for baptism, which she received in 2024. “We talked about it together. It's a coincidence, but in the end not so much... She told me in such a natural, beautiful way,” he says.

During his catechumenate, Sébastien immersed himself in reading the Bible. He’s even planning to organize a Bible study group after his baptism. He also discovered the story of Saint Paul, which particularly touched him.

“Saint Paul speaks to me. He mistreated Christians, then converted later in life, and ended up giving his life. It spoke to me,” he testifies. “I might’ve said stupid things or mocked believers. His example reassured me. We’re taken as we are, with our faults.”

A few weeks before his baptism, which will take place in the cathedral of Quimper, Sébastien continues on his journey. ”I can't wait. I saw baptism in administrative terms, but during the Mass with the decisive call where you receive the purple stole, I was touched, overcome with emotion,” he continues. ”It's not trivial, I won't come out of it the same as I went in.”

In the meantime, he continues to live his faith to the full, with “absolute confidence”. “You have to surrender yourself, as Christ surrendered himself to the will of the Father.” Sébastien smiles and says, “To those who doubt, I say, ‘Everything contributes to the good. It's going to be okay, there’s a happy ending.’”