Baptism

At the Easter Vigil (April 19) many adults the world over will be baptized into the Catholic faith. Those already baptized, who are preparing to join the Catholic faith, will renew their baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil just before being received into the Church. Those of us who are already members of the Church will renew our baptismal promises at the Easter Mass we attend.

In his general audience on January 8, Pope Francis spoke about baptism emphasizing the importance of one’s baptismal day. He urged his listeners to learn the date of their baptism and never forget it. He said, “ We must awaken the memory of our Baptism! The risk is to lose the memory of that which the Lord has done in us, the memory of the gift that we have received. We end up considering it as only an event that happened in the past—and not even by our own will, but that of our parents—that no longer has any effect in our present.”

How many of us know the date of our baptism? Do you celebrate it? In anticipation of renewing your baptismal promises at Mass on Easter, why not discover the date of your baptism, contemplate its significance in your life of faith, and make your renewal on Easter, a true renewal. Have you received a gift greater that the relationship with God that was initiated at your baptism? May our baptism be more than just an event that happened in our past. Let us embrace it anew as the great gift it is. May the joy of our rediscovery of our baptism mirror the joy of those who will be baptized this Easter.

Fr. John Klein, Pastor