Tag: Baptism

Why Jesus Was Baptized

One week following our celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate His baptism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “By Baptism all sins are forgiven, Original Sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.” (CCC...

Be Opened!

Ephphatha!—Be opened! Be open; have eyes to see and ears to hear. We hear this theme often in the gospels. Being open to the Word of God is very important, but it is only the first step; we must share the knowledge we obtain with others. We hear and...

I Believe in Dinosaurs

“I don’t believe in Dinosaurs” she said adamantly. Huh? I thought. Didn’t I take her to see “Sue,” the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur skeleton at the Field Museum?? A daughter of a scientist who blindly rejects the data before her eyes -where...

An Extraordinary Mission

Four months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Lieutenant Colonel James “Jimmy” Doolittle was given an extraordinary mission. The mission, known as the Doolittle Raid, was carried out on April 18, 1942. It...

Our Identifying Mark

You may have heard the term “maverick,” which in the days of the Old West meant an unbranded animal, especially a calf. The term was originally a man’s name: Samuel Maverick, a Texas rancher who for some reason never branded his cattle. This meant...

Let Us Be Clear about Baptism

Let us be clear, from the start, about Baptism. The ceremony per se does not make one a Christian, or a Catholic. Baptism is the sacrament that ushers us into the family of God. But the bond of life and love with Him must be nurtured every day...

The Fruit of Baptism

As we begin this brand New Year, we need to take to heart the words of John the Baptist that we find in the Gospel of Luke. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Luke 3:16) “The baptismal water is consecrated – so that those...

Accepting Our Mission

Are saints very holy people? Yes, they are. Are they exempt from stupid mistakes? No, they’re not; they’re just as capable of embarrassing themselves or unwittingly causing suffering to other people as are the rest of us—as shown by an incident from...