Today's Two-Fer: Baptism of the Lord and a Confirmation Commitment

"The Lord was baptized, not to be cleansed himself but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters, cleansed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might have the power of baptism. Whoever comes, therefore, to the washing of Christ lays aside his sins" St. Ambrose of Milan

This morning we all went to the 9 a.m. Mass, an early one for us. Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the day in which the Church commemorates the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. Today was also the day where several eighth graders in our parish, including our son, participated in a Confirmation Commitment ceremony during Mass. Since Confirmation seals the sacrament of Baptism, the timing could not have been better.

While our son's Confirmation sponsor, my older brother, was unable to attend the ceremony, we were delighted that his Godfather, a busy father of four who lives an hour away, attended Mass with us.

A Beautiful Song about the Origins of Us and the Universe

I wish I knew more about the song, "The Design" or its author, A. Marani. Perhaps my CL friends can enlighten us? The Communion and Liberation choir sang this at a Baptismal Mass on Sunday afternoon. The lyrics speak to the origins of the human being. I am left in awe when I consider that each of us was willed into being from nothingness by the Mystery and that we will, as Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete says, disappear one day into the Mystery.

Thanks to Monsignor Albacete, I was Blown Away by a Triple Baptism on the Upper West Side

Yesterday afternoon, in the heart of New York City, I had the privilege of witnessing the baptism of three babies at Church of the Blessed Sacrament. I also had the unexpected privilege of hearing Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete preach.

The three families celebrating are all members of Communion and Liberation, the lay ecclesiastical movement in which both my 15-year-old and I participate. One of the moms, M., has helped to lead vacations for the CL youth and we wanted to share the joy of their first child's baptism.

It took me a few minutes of circling the block, but I managed to score a parking spot not far from the church, which is on West 71st Street. We walked over. When we entered the darkened church, we were awed by its beauty.