Baptism. Sunday, March 9. Lent 2014.

So often, people are not willing to support something that they do not understand.

The new ice cream shop that has a two hour line at any given time?

Tangible.

Understandable.

Yummy.

The Hunger Games Trilogy?

Tangible.

Understandable.

Intriguing.

But baptism?

Godparents.

Water.

Baby.

Christian.

But that’s about it.

The significance usually stops at the tangible;

the easy to understand and grasp.

The renewal of baptismal vows usually resounds in a mumbled

something or other that might sound like ‘I do’.

But it could be ‘I don’t’ or maybe even ‘Donut’.  

For Montfort,

baptism was vital in order to:

“renew the spirit of Christianity among the faithful.”

As Montfort did parish missions,

he realized that Christians did not understand the significance of baptism.

He resolved:

“The only real remedy for this ignorance and forgetfulness was to enlighten his people in the subject of the meaning, splendor, and demands of baptism.”

People needed education on baptism.

And so too today.

Montfort beautifully wrote:

“Baptism itself wipes out original sin, gives us grace, opens Heaven to us, makes us children of God himself and the Church.”

What a beautiful reminder.  

“The question is, then, how to preserve the greatness of our baptismal life in the face of the alien value system of the world? A loving acceptance of Our Lady’s maternal role and powerful intercession. The more we have recourse to the spiritual Mother of all the baptized, the more easily she can help us journey to fidelity and to strive for perfection in Christ.”

The next time we renew our baptismal vows at mass,

I plan on clearly stating verbally and wholeheartedly,

‘I do.’