Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Every one of us has a birthday, a day we celebrate the gift of our earthly life. But as Christians, we also have a spiritual birthday, the day of our Baptism, when we were born again by water and the Spirit (John 3:5). Whether we were baptized as infants or adults, that moment was a defining one: the day we were claimed by Christ and welcomed into the family of God.
In the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit” (CCC 1213). It’s not merely a nice tradition, it is a sacrament of salvation, a life-changing encounter with God’s grace.
Let’s reflect briefly on the incredible effects of Baptism:
- Forgiveness of Sins – “By Baptism all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins” (CCC 1263). No matter our age at Baptism, the mercy of God sweeps through our soul like a flood, leaving us clean and new.
- New Creation – Baptism doesn’t just cleanse, it recreates. The baptized person becomes a “new creature” (2 Cor 5:17), an adopted son or daughter of God, “a partaker of the divine nature” (CCC 1265). In other words, God shares His life with us.
- Incorporation into the Church – Baptism makes us members of the Body of Christ, the Church. We are no longer isolated individuals, but living members of the People of God (CCC 1267).
- A Permanent Mark – Baptism leaves an indelible spiritual seal on our soul—“a character which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship” (CCC 1272). This mark can never be lost, even by sin. Once baptized, forever His.
- The Gift of the Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit takes up residence in our soul at Baptism, preparing us for the life of faith, enabling us to grow in virtue, and opening us to the other sacraments (CCC 1266).
So many of us were baptized as infants and don’t remember it, but we live in its grace every day. I encourage you this week: look up your baptismal date. Mark it on your calendar. Celebrate it! Light a candle. Say a prayer of thanksgiving. Remind your children of theirs.
And above all, let’s live like people who have been washed by the Blood of the Lamb, claimed as Children of God, and filled with the graces of the Holy Spirit. That’s who we are. That’s who we’re becoming.
Peace in Christ,
Fr. Michael Silloway
Pastor