Baptism is Messy
FROM THE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE statement out in every way possible. It is so woven into the fabric of our lives that we wear a cross inscribed with “Soli Deo Gloria.” Whatever we are able to do, and to be, we are giving God glory. We stand in the footsteps of Jesus as he gave glory to the Creator. With all Christians we try to achieve in diverse ways perfect harmony in creation and among all persons in Christ.
I would love to hear how your family celebrated this second Easter in a pandemic. The Easter season is such a beautiful time of the year with the lush, gentle-colored foliage, the warmth of the sun, and longer days. I have a deep love of the sacred triduum—Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday—the latter being my favorite. How can one forget the beauty and drama of the ritual of Holy Saturday: coming into a darkened church, the golden glow of hundreds of candles spreading light, readings of our salvation history that inspire and challenge and encourage, the blessing of the water and baptism followed by confirmation and Eucharist? My heart beats with intensity at the mere thought of this celebration. Remembering past Holy Saturdays, I recall a proud dad carrying his son to the baptismal water with a baby bottle in his suit pocket, an image of real life. Another family of parents held twins with three older sisters in tow. When the name of one of the twins was called, the mom looked down, and following a prolonged pause, admitted, “I’m not sure which is which.” About five years ago my family gathered to celebrate the baptism
of my great niece. Her big brother was then three. Someone asked if pictures could be taken. The response was a resounding “Yes!” Father said this moment needed to be remembered, and pictures were the best way to share the memories. Our family was called, the waters of baptism were poured, and my nephew commented…“no, not Amen. But yucky.” Father picked up on his comment and said, “Yes, baptism is sometimes yucky and we get messy. That will happen in life, just as it did with Jesus.” At baptism we were immersed into the life of Jesus and challenged to go and do as Jesus did. Remembering these stories, I often wonder about the footsteps of these children. The first two sets of children are adults. By now they have experienced the messiness of life as they follow in Jesus’ footsteps. My eight-year-old nephew will continue growing into the beauty and challenge of baptism. He, too, has a supportive community to help him move through the yuck. In our Ursuline constitutions, there is a beautiful introduction, “All creation receives the call to holiness, ‘Be Glory to the only God.’” The Ursuline Sisters believe and live this
Guides for this journey are all around: the proclamation of scripture each week; working at a food pantry; standing in solidarity with the disadvantaged at the borders, checking on elderly neighbors. Jesus’ teaching is always consistent, no matter the audience. His message is always focused: “Love God, love your neighbor.” With Jesus there was no division between his words and his actions. Messy? Absolutely. Doable? Totally. We can live into our baptismal call, no matter how messy or yucky it may seem. Jesus showed us the way. There will be slips and slides, lack of agreement on how to feed the hungry, warm the poor, love the stranger, welcome the refugee. As baptized women and men we have no choice but to get up and move. Let your words and actions stand strong, and stand together for support. And when life gets messy or yucky because you stood up for something or someone, just know this is part of God’s plan. It’s the way Jesus walked the earth.
DOME | SPRING 2021
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