Letter From the Pastor’s Desk Dear Friends in Christ, There is legend about a Roman legionary during the first two hundred years of the Church’s existence, during the Age of Persecution, when the Roman Empire repeatedly tried to destroy the Church that Jesus established. This legionary went off on a long war campaign, leaving his wife with child. While he was gone, she gave birth. Soon thereafter, she converted to Christianity, was baptized, and had her baby baptized as well. Meanwhile, the legionary also met some Christians and heard their explanations of what it meant to be baptized into this new faith. He, however, could not be baptized before the campaign ended and he returned home. His wife was overjoyed upon his arrival, but apprehensive about what his reaction would be to her baptism. She decided to break the news gradually. First she showed him their child, and only then mentioned that she had had him baptized. Immediately the husband became quiet, pensive. He looked again at the child, then knelt down beside the crib. He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and silently began to pray. His wife was puzzled. She knelt next to him and asked, My love, what are you doing? At first he continued to pray, then he opened his eyes and looked at his wife. My love, he answered, if our son has been baptized, he has himself become a holy temple. For Christ the Lord, his Father the Creator of all, and the living Holy Spirit have made their home in his heart, so we can pray to God there. Baptism is a great, miraculous gift, and it is also a great responsibility. It is the beginning of a lifelong adventure, the adventure of following Christ through this earthly pilgrimage and into the everlasting joys of heaven. It is the only journey that can really satisfy the deep yearning of our hearts for meaning, wisdom, and purpose. And it is a journey that Christ himself made possible by deciding to take our human nature upon himself, as his own...
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:30:36 +0000
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