How much does our Baptism mean to us?

How much does our Baptism mean to us?

A catechumen receives Baptism at the Easter vigil and leaves Church as a new person in Christ.  But as the days come and go, how often has this person used this new grace to share the Good News with someone that may be unknown to him?  

It might be a question that very few may ponder over since their days are filled with other things and after all they are not ordained ministers.  However, it is not just the ministers of the Church to whom spreading the gospel is expected.  Jesus, after asking John to Baptize him with the words, “Allow it now, for it is fitting for us all to fulfill righteousness.”  (Mt 3: 15).  We are all expected to reach out as Jesus to endure temptation, suffering, and spreading the hope of the gospel to whom we might be sent.

The baptized have become “living stones” to be “built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood.”  By Baptism they share in the priesthood of Christ, in his prophetic and royal mission.  They are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that they may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  Baptism gives a share in the common priesthood of all believers.  (CCC 1268).

“Reborn as sons of God, the baptized must profess before men the faith they have received from God through the Church” and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God.  (CCC 1270).

As we follow the dictates of our answers “Yes” to the anointing of the grace of Baptism we must also take this admission to the Passion of Christ which is what this Sacrament is all about and use our gift of speech or writing to surrender our timidity of remaining silent about why we were given the grace through water and the Spirit to accept our mission to evangelize at every opportunity that the Holy Spirit guides us to.

This does not imply that we are to take placards and walk up and down the streets announcing an end of the world is coming, so repent.  But it does state through our spirit of understanding to those who might be slipping a little from their faith to find Christ who is loving and forgiving.  He calls each of us to find that grace through our faith that might be challenged.  Do not give up on Christ!  He hasn’t given up on us!

Ralph B. Hathaway