Baptism: Igniting the Flame of Faith

It was a brisk morning back on November 27th in the year 1988.  There was so much joy that filled the hearts of those gathered to welcome me in.  Every person knows the day they were born and this is something that is held in highest esteem.  We never skip or forget our birthday or those of others whom we love or call our friends.  The day we came into this world is certainly a noteworthy occasion and something to celebrated each year, however, our baptism is far mare significant. 

If I were to ask you when you were baptized, chances are most people wouldn't be able to tell me the date.  Nor do we think about it annually or celebrated our entrance into the Church.  At a recent baptism at our parish, the priest mentioned this to the eight families that were gathered to celebrated their child's baptism.  I could not help but think of how important it was to be baptized and to give the gift of faith to children.

On the last day, during the final hour of Jesus' time on earth, after he rose from the dead and appeared to many our Lord spoke before ascending to Heaven.  He could have said a myriad of things...Whatever he would say would have captivated his audience and been written down and shared for centuries to come.  Jesus spoke and his words were both powerful and intentional as he issued in the great commission for discipleship as he said,"Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20) 

The reason why baptism is held in such high esteem in the Church and that it is emphasized so greatly is because Jesus wants us to be clothed with Him.  When a baby or person enters the Church through baptism they are truly a new creation and become a Child of God.  The light of Christ that their God parent holds, which burns brightly, is a symbol of the light that God will infuse in their lives for all time.  The water which John baptized Jesus with in the river Jordan over two thousand years ago cleanses us from the stain of sin and purifies us as we become the holiness of Christ.  The chrism oil sets God's seal and that of the Holy Spirit on each member who the Church as each Child of God will be directed and guided through their. life  The white stole and garment marks a new beginning and the purity of the Lord, as we are called to be saints.

Baptism is where this all begins and where our life changes drastically as Jesus welcomes us in and we receive the grace of salvation which is a free gift to all.  With faith as the keystone and guide for our journey through life, a personal relationship with Christ, and being part of the Church-a community of believers, we are equipped to face the world and carry out our call to discipleship.  We are disciples and are called to make disciples of all nations.  By taking that first step of faith or having it initiated for us as children, we receive a gift that will keep on giving and never fade.  For you Lord are the center of our lives and in you we have all we need.  Jesus, allow us to fully understand what our discipleship means and who you are calling us to be.  For your Kingdom is not of this world.  May our reflection on our own baptism and the call you place on our lives ignite our faith in a new way so we produce good fruit and pass the torch of faith to generations to come.

So the next time you are at a baptism or digging through a memory box or drawer and stumble upon your baptismal candle, know that the day you became a new creation in Christ was where it all began and where your faith life was ignited.  Celebrate your baptismal day and be the prayer warrior your family and the little ones in your family need to stay connected to Jesus as his children.  Finally, as you make the sign of the cross at mass or in a church after dipping your fingers in the holy water, may it remind you and me of our baptismal call and discipleship. Let your light shine and may the flame of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ continue to burn brightly, never being extinguished and always guiding you until you reach the halls of heaven.

Encountering Christ in the Poor

Many people wonder what it would be like to see the face of God.  What if I told you that Jesus is in our midst.  What if you did not have to wait another day, let alone until your time on this earth came to an end to see the face of Christ?  For Jesus himself said, "For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you." (Luke 17:21)

When I boarded an airplane headed for Mexico City in April of 2019 little did I know that in a number of hours I was going to see the face of Christ.  Going on missions was something that I had first experience while at Le Moyne College with the Jesuits, having served in Kenya and Dominica.  I definitely recognized the presence of Jesus then and had encounters with God on those missions, but this experience in Mexico City was something different. 

After a long days journey from New York to Mexico City, we took a bus to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  What a way to experience Christ and set the tone for what was to come!  We celebrated evening mass and had the opportunity to view and pray before the Tilma of Juan Diego with the image of Our Lady on it.  I truly believe that it was at that moment that my eyes began to see things differently with regard to the poor.  Before the trip I prepared by praying daily and asked to see the face of Christ in others who I would serve and love on.  I hoped God would show out in a profound way and that he did.  The next few days we hit the streets meeting the street kids of Mexico City and through tortillas, rice, and beans and some water we spent time with those on the margins in the margins.  Father Gregory Boyle, the author of "Tattoos on the Heart" and director of Home Boy Ministries in LA said, "It is not enough to take a stand on an issue.  We must rather be like Christ and stand with those facing the issue and be one with them."  By sharing in that meal, speaking some broken Spanish, and most importantly recognizing these kids humanity we shared love.  In loving them and being with them, I saw Jesus and really felt his presence. 

Three days into the mission, kids who were strangers that I had never met a mere 72 hours before now felt like family.  The love of Christ that was shared between us and the relationship that was established through our human connection became so strong in such a short amount of time.  Little did I know then that the street kids, those who are looked down upon in their own society, the one's rejected, down trodden, and hurting would show me the face of our Lord.  Months later as I plan to go back for my third and fourth visit, I have a new family-mi familia de Mexico and Jesus lead me to them and brought forth such great joy by visiting me while I was there.

On the final day of the mission we headed on a long bus ride to the edge of Mexico City to spend the day at the dump.  The smell was wretched and the fumes began to filter into the bus from about two miles out.  We were told that no one comes to the dump unless you live and work there.  If someone had to go in they always wore a full hazmat suit, gloves, pants, mask, the whole nine.  Today we were going in and we were going to have an "explosion of Jesus."  As I took my first step off of the bus onto the grounds of the dump, flies immediately attacked me, the smell was horrific, and all that I could see for miles was mountains of trash.  This is where Jesus would be I thought.  This is where our Lord would come to visit the lonely, the sick, the poor, and the orphaned.  I started walking a few hundred feet and saw some men working sorting trash.  I said a quick prayer and asked God to lead me to someone who I could help, but more importantly someone who would show me the face of Jesus.  I took a quick turn to the left and walked a few more hundred feet and back, way back behind a huge pile of trash was Olga, a 30 year old mother of three.  Olga was quietly sorting cans and glass bottles, as well as plastics into these huge trash bags.  I went over and introduced myself and she smiled.  I started to help Olga and before you knew it we were talking about her kids, her faith in Christ, and she was asking me about my job as a teacher.  I met her children and saw the small dilapidated shack they lived in.  Her kids were smiling ear to ear when I spoke to them in Spanish and later we would play some soccer in the dump.  I asked Olga what made her smile and why she was so happy... Her response was something I did not expect.  She said, "I have everything I need.  I have my kids, my faith in God, and you came to visit me."  When I looked into her eyes I saw Jesus Christ.  I saw our Lord peer back at me with such a loving gaze.  I gave Olga a hug and then met Michael the angel in the dump, played some more soccer with Juan, Jose, Chili, and Joshua.

See there is a reason why Jesus said in the beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for their's is the kingdom of Heaven."  Some of us face physical poverty, like those at the dump the poorest of the poor.  Some of us face spiritual or emotional poverty.  And still others face spiritual or relational poverty.  When we visit the poor and spend time with them, we get to hang out with Jesus.  When we hang out with the Lord and share his great love with our brothers and sisters, it changes us radically.  For the love of God is so radical and so crazy that it can transform you in a profound way. 

That night when I went back to the Basilica to pray after the day at the dump I felt a call to missions in a way I never had experienced before.  When we take a step out of our comfort zone and "shock" our faith it is then that God causes growth and an awakening that can profoundly impact us for years to come.  A simple "yes" to go on mission with a bunch of good friends from our parish turned into one of the most impactful experiences of my life.  I got to see and hang out with Jesus in Mexico City.  The cool thing is he is all around us.  It is time for us to seek out the poor in our own communities and to share Christ's love with them.  Remember, Jesus "came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10). 

So I encourage you to spend some time with the poor and in doing so you shall see the face of God.  The Kingdom is among us and although it won't come to complete fulfillment until we are with our Lord in Heaven, he does want us to have snippets of paradise here on Earth.  For Jesus came so that we "might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10).  Abundance doesn't mean material goods, a fat wallet, or stuff that will lose its luster.  The abundance is a full spirit, a heart for others, and joy that no one can take away.  Joy and Christ's love that fills you up even on a mountain of trash.

To learn more about Hope of the Poor and how to get involved with serving the poor in Mexico City, please visit: https://hopeofthepoor.org/

Called to Serve

Each of us is called by God in some way to serve.  The love of Christ is something that we desire and that those in our broken world need.  Lately I have been thinking a lot about missions.  The first apostles by saying "yes" to Christ became the first missionaries.  Jesus called them to "come and follow me."  And follow they did as they were set out to catch not just fish, but men!

As those first followers of Christ did 2,000 years ago, so we are called to do so today.  In our own way in our own time and in this 21st Century, you and I are called to serve.  So what does that mean?  How do I go out and share Christ's love with others?  For many of us we have an opportunity every day to brighten someones day with a simple listening ear, a compliment, a random act of kindness.  As author Matthew Kelly suggests, when we respond positively to the Holy moments that come our way we say yes to God.  A Holy moment is any encounter where we give or receive Jesus.  It can be as simple as holding the door for someone and offering a smile or as profound as traveling across the globe to serve the poor in a third world country.  As Saint Mother Teresa mentioned so often, "Do small things with great love."  Love doesn't cost us anything, except our time and energy.  We all have love to share and this is what serving God is all about.

When I came back from Mexico City in April of 2019 my life was forever changed.  After spending 5 days with the poorest of the poor, I realized that my life was a gift that I needed to share with others.  As I played in the dirt with kids in the dump in Mexico and had an encounter with Jesus that I had never had experienced before, it was then that God's love showered me with graces that opened my eyes in a new way.  There is a reason why Jesus says, "Unless you become like one of these little ones, you shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18:3)  When we serve we  become children of God, we are able to give from the heart and give all that God has given to us as a gift to others.

I believe we can change the world.  It happens one moment, one day, and one person at a time.  Jesus loves us and has provided us with a gift and that love and joy is to be shared with the world; "I have told you these things, so that my joy might be in you and your joy be complete." (John 15:11).  When we serve others and shine his light in the broken world, we share Christ and when we share Him everything changes.  Joy is something that is given and it is something that is received.  Serving allows this spiritual and fruitful explosion of God's love to come to completeness and it lightens our heart and moves our soul. 

So the next time you are with someone, be open to those opportunities to serve.  Service comes in the form of being a good friend, a loving spouse, a helpful neighbor, and a willing to listen co-worker.  Service comes in the form of praying for others, an encouraging note, an uplifting text message, a call on a lonely night.  Service comes in the form of being the hands and feet of Christ by visiting the sick, spending time with those in prison, and heeding the cry of the poor.  Whatever you do know that when you give you shall receive and blessed are you because you loved as Jesus called us to do.  Never was there a day or a time when you will give of yourself and serve others that you will not be changed.  It is not easy and you might not want to, but know that you are changing the world.  So this week go out and find your mission field.  Serve others and love.  Allow the love of Christ to flow through you to the world so that "your light might shine before others, so that they might see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." (Matthew 5:16)  Go out and serve by being a light.  Together we can change the world!