At almost every Infant Baptism celebration, our beloved Bob leads us in song with a rousing rendition of “We Belong to You” (by Trevor Thompson). The refrain “We belong to you, oh Lord of our longing, we belong to you; in our daily living, dying and rising, we belong to you” really sums up one of the themes of Baptism as we proudly and joyfully express our faith in Him to whom we belong. This song came to mind as I read the second reading for this weekend:
“None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.
For if we live, we live for the Lord,
and if we die, we die for the Lord;
so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
(Romans 14:7-9)
A baptized person is never alone. He or she is born to live in and for the Lord in community. This call unites all believers. Until we draw our final breath, our occupation is to live with Christ, in Christ, and for Christ, in whatever situation we find ourselves in union with other believers.
As our staff Evangelization and Faith Formation Team is finalizing the opportunities for ongoing formation in this COVID time, we are developing programs and processes that will help to unite us with the Lord and with one another. There will be various opportunities for children, families, and singles. We will provide for sacramental preparation for children and youth for First Confession, First Communion, and Confirmation; for adults interested in Baptism; for study and on-going growth in the Bible and in our Catholic teachings and traditions; and for offering the possibility of growing closer to the Lord Jesus and one another through prayer, fellowship, and service.
No man (woman, child) is an island unto himself. We are the family of God, united in faith, hope and love. We are disciples on the journey of faith together. Let us pray for one another.
