All In

There are so many parts of my Catholic faith that I often take for granted because they have become so normal to me. Like breathing, it's so essential to our life, but we fail to think about it until we're under water and can't. Once we're swimming we have to plan our breaths, it's really all we think about. If we forget, we die. So we don't forget, we make it our central focus.

Baptism is one of those things that was always around. I witnessed a lot of them, it was just a normal thing that every baby went through the motions of. We've seen it done a hundred times, they poor the water, say the words, make the sign of the cross, etc. I came across a YouTube video a few years ago that opened my eyes to recognize the beauty of baptism. A pastor was doing some full immersion baptisms. He was standing in water up to his chest in a clear tub and the teens and adults being baptized were getting into the tub one by one and then of course he would do the normal thing, tip them back under the water, say the words...all pretty standard. But then, he motions for the next person to get in, and before he can even look at them, here comes a 12 year old that cannonballs into the tub. He got some huge laughs from the people and luckily the pastor had a sense of humor too.

It just really struck me, that kid knew what he was doing. Baptism is all about giving your WHOLE life to God. We can't hold anything back, we have to go ALL IN. None of this dip your toe in or just dangling your feet in or even wade in slowly while your body adjusts to the water temperature. Jesus asks for all of us. It's a cannonball, there's no turning back when you realize the water is cold, you committed to it the moment your feet left the ground. And now, every day when we make the sign of the cross we sign ourselves as belonging to Him, we recommit to the mission He's called us to. I need a reminder of that, when I start just going through the motions, that I need to stay focused on Him. In order to commit to Him it means I have to leave the "safe" stuff behind - let my feet leave the ground. And remember that He is my source of life on this earth, and I have to keep focused on Him every day and keep re-committing to him every day. My life depends on it.

I'll leave you with a beautiful mission from the first reading today...remember - ALL IN - what's he calling you to today?

"Thus says the LORD:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one with whom I am pleased,
upon whom I have put my spirit;
he shall bring forth justice to the nations,
not crying out, not shouting,
not making his voice heard in the street.
a bruised reed he shall not break,
and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,
until he establishes justice on the earth;
the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,
I have grasped you by the hand;
I formed you, and set you
as a covenant of the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to bring out prisoners from confinement,
and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness." Is 42 1-4, 6-7