click here for full bulletin
From the Desk of Fr. Matthew Ibok
Even though it sounds very common to our ears because we hear it; we say it every time; we witness it always; and many of us are baptized, Baptism is a primary sacrament that opens the door to the rest. More importantly, it incorporates us into the Body of Christ, which of course, is a common knowledge to Catholics. It is also one of the Sacraments of Initiation that includes the Holy Eucharist and Confirmation.
In one of his speeches in 2018, Pope Francis emphasized that there is an intrinsic link between Baptism and Christ: “Baptism permits Christ to live in us, and to live united with him . . . in order to collaborate in the Church, each according to his or her own condition, to the transformation of the world.” The Holy Father also said: “There is a before and after Baptism,” which reveals and entails a passage from one state of life to another.
With Baptism, we begin our faith journey. The infants are assisted by parents and Godparents in that journey, and the adults assume the duties and responsibilities of the journey.
Our faith journey can be compared to the one we embark upon in ordinary life, whereby we need to fulfill some conditions including staying focused, determination, patience, positive attitude, and many more to get to our desired destinations. As members of the Body of Christ, we embark on the journey of faith together. This means that we need one another, and more importantly, we are to assist one another in the journey.
I am always delighted to hear one of the finest American principles regarding our men and women in uniform: “America does not leave her own behind.” This is true since America approaches and does many things as possible as a body to account for her service men and women. This is a profound principle we can learn and use as a faith community to carry all along our faith journey because we are all in this together due to our Baptism. We need not leave behind any parishioner – churched or unchurched. We need to reach out through our visible and invisible gestures, and show our pastoral fraternity. This is the call our Baptism makes, and the challenge it demands, especially from those of us who remain strong on our faith journey in spite of challenges we face on the way.
The richness of Baptism, like any other sacrament, is inexhaustible. To learn more about it, I recommend that you read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1213 – 1284).
Fr. Matthew