Baptism of the Lord: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Catholic Culture has a wonderful post about celebrating activities for the Baptism of the Lord.
One of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, this feast day is the perfect time to reflect on our baptisms into the death and resurrection of Christ. I particularly liked the link above from Catholic Culture’s article on one way to celebrate the baptisms of your children so that they become familiar with the reasons why they were baptized and what it means as a sacrament.
Christ did not need remission from sin. WE do. Christ become Baptized not to purify himself but to make efficacious the purifying waters of Baptism. Our Sacrament of Water and Spirit is efficacious because JESUS chose to be baptized.
What happens when we are baptized? Original Sin is destroyed. Grace is imparted. We are purified and given a fresh start. We also receive and indelible mark that sets us apart as belonging to God. A change that is permanent no matter how badly we then live. A mark that is a blessing to those who die in a state of grace and thus go to Heaven, but a terrible burden of shame and misery to those who reject Christ and find themselves in Hell for eternity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a wonderful resource for understanding this Sacrament.
Saint Josemaria Escriva
This January 9th is the 110th anniversary of the birth of Saint Josemaria Escriva. This Saint who wrote so eloquently about living our Christian Lives as regular people, or as the Church calls us–LAY PEOPLE. Most Christians are lay persons, people who bring the Faith into all the secular parts of the culture, whose task it is to carry the graces we receive in the Mass to all the people in the world by our living examples.
I like to write about Vocation. Mine is the vocation to Marriage. I have an education I am responsible for using to further the kingdom of God. I have a marriage to nurture and a family to raise and teach. I have my social activities and my creative work. All these aspects of my perfectly normal, ordinary life, are parts of my vocation as a Catholic. The graces of my Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist and Marriage are mine to lean on and allow to help me become the woman God planned for me to be before I was even conceived.
We ALL have vocations. Our Baptisms are the first Sacrament that begins us on the path of fulfilling those vocations. Sadly, we tend to forget this so important part of being Catholic. We forget we are supposed to LIVE what we learn from Scripture and Tradition. The Church has the task to preserve what Christ revealed to the Apostles. Those who have received Holy Orders have the task to teach the Fullness of the Faith to the Laity. WE, whose varied vocations are as Lay Persons, have the task of living that fullness of the Faith in our lives so that we become Salt and Light in the world.
On this beautiful Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, think about your vocation and about your Baptism and may God bless you with many graces to fulfill your role in His Kingdom.