 June
2004
"It's my Bath-tism
Day!"
Eric, my three year old, was excited. As
part of our annual custom of remembering his baptism, we
had pulled out his white outfit, lit his candle, and were getting ready to
watch
his baptism video. Over a celebratory
piece of cake, we asked him what he thought the hoopla was all about:
"So, Eric, what are we celebrating today?" I asked.
Eric grinned shyly. "My Bath-tism day!"
"And what happened at your baptism?"
Eric's grin grew wider. "I got a yittle bath at church."
"You did? Wow! What happened after that?"
"They poured a yittle soap on me!"
It took a few more questions to determine that
the "soap" was chrism from his anointing! Even before the viewing of
his video, Eric had put his own spin on what he had seen in his
sister's baptism video a few months before.
Laura and I shook our heads in amazement. Eric
had caught an essential element of baptism, simply by watching it. All of
the rest would come later. Teaching about salvation, cleansing from sin, dying
and rising with Christ, and living his baptismal call would be there every
time he revisited his "bath-tism." We were content for the moment to
tell him that his baptism made him a special part of God's family.
In this delightful moment, it was humbling for
me as a parent to know that all I did was show up!
Chris Weber
Director,
Catholic Education Ministries of Central Maryland
301-447-3707
Copyright © 2004 by the Catholic Education
Ministries Center of Central Maryland, Emmitsburg, MD 21727. All rights reserved.
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