Baptism

A few days ago was the anniversary of my baptism. My family celebrated with me… a special dinner, cards and gifts, and honorings … encouraging me for qualities of the Lord they saw in me. It was great; I felt very encouraged as my children and their spouses and children joined in. Baptism is a “big deal”.

The great commission of Christ says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign. “Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 1213) It really is a very big deal ! 

It was 76 years ago, September 15, 1946, that I was baptized in St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Malden, Mo.  My parents were there, Neal & Mary, along with my sister Libby(10) and brothers Tommy(6) & Neal(7) and my godparents Thomas Dempsey and Eugenia Davidson (my mother’s brother and sister). It was the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. To be honest I don’t remember a lot about the day, as I was only 23 days old, but I know it was a very big deal.  I became a “son of God and a member of God’s family”.  I ratified that reality a number of years later.

In a couple of weeks our newest grandson will be baptized. He will become part of God’s family, a prince of our father in heaven, an adopted son of God. It’s a very big deal. I pray he and his family will celebrate this eternal event for the rest of his life. 76 years from now I hope to be watching from heaven, as Declan Peter is honored and encouraged for having lived a wonderful life as a holy son of God. Wow, that would be very good news.