Give Me Direction

Many faiths have the ritual of a baptism; a time when a person is presented or presents themselves as wanting to commit themselves to God. In the Catholic Church, Baptism is the first Sacrament of Initiation and generally the parents of an infant child makes the decision for the child to be Baptized.

This is when they are to receive their middle name as a symbol of the conversion which happens. Like when Jesus met Saint Peter for the first time, his name was Simon but Jesus called him Peter as a sign of what Jesus called him to be. Saint Paul, who authored much of the New Testament was named Saul until he got his “call” from God. It is a symbol of the conversion or faith and dying to the “old” life and beginning anew.

As a baptized Christian person, whether in the Catholic Church or in another faith, each of us are cleansed of our sins, which are washed away in the waters and called to live out the faith. We are called to follow Jesus and our actions show the world (the community gathered) that we are ready, willing and able to do this. Of course we can’t do this all on our own, we need other baptized people to help us.

The Bible is the BEST tool to help baptized Christians to stay on the path laid out before them. It gives them examples of those before them, it shares the story of Jesus’ life and death, and it helps direct how we should live by following the commandments.

In the New Testament, Saint Peter addresses the newly baptized. He lets them know they are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” The Priest, during a Catholic baptism speaks these same words. If you were baptized in the Catholic Church, these words were spoken at your baptism. You were brought into the faith committing to be priest, prophet and king.

Are you asking yourself what that really means? Well it means, in short, as a baptized Christian, you have the obligation to live out your baptism, believing it is something you ARE and not something you experience at some point in your life. A baptized person should live life with purpose. You are a part of a royal priesthood, created and chosen by God to make the world, the community, your family, more holy.

This is your mission….are you ready, willing and able to accept it? Let’s GO!