Reflections on Baptism
I was received into full communion with the Catholic Church last night. I was baptized, confirmed, and given the Eucharist. I was contemplating writing down a detailed account of my experiences last night, but honestly, I was too much in a daze. So just some general impressions.
I approached baptism wondering if I was going to feel something inside my soul, wondering if I was going to feel the 42 years of sin in my life be whisked away. Nope. The physical sensation of the warm water just overrides any spiritual sensation you might get. So no, no great whoosh as sin is washed away. But upon emerging from the water, I felt a great joy enter my heart. I'm still riding that right now.
It is in fact that sense of joy that is my lasting memory of the experience. Confirmation involved a very nice laying on of hands, and an anointing with the sign of the cross on my forehead with holy oil. As I was anointed, I thought to myself "How can there be so much oil on someone's thumb?!" because it felt like there was a lot of it on my forehead. Perhaps that was an extrasensory impression! It felt as if my entire forehead was covered.
I took Communion and again, I was at first struck by the physical sensations. The way the communion wafer stuck to the roof of my mouth. How much I had to tilt the chalice back to take a sip of communion wine. An impression of fullness afterward. Fullness, despite being ravenous after the Mass ended and making a sizable dent in the reception buffet afterward.
So I write this, the morning after, on Easter Sunday, amidst a great contentment and joy. I probably wasn't ready for this earlier in my life. So to all of you out there reading this, I want to wish you a wonderful Easter! I love you all madly!
I approached baptism wondering if I was going to feel something inside my soul, wondering if I was going to feel the 42 years of sin in my life be whisked away. Nope. The physical sensation of the warm water just overrides any spiritual sensation you might get. So no, no great whoosh as sin is washed away. But upon emerging from the water, I felt a great joy enter my heart. I'm still riding that right now.
It is in fact that sense of joy that is my lasting memory of the experience. Confirmation involved a very nice laying on of hands, and an anointing with the sign of the cross on my forehead with holy oil. As I was anointed, I thought to myself "How can there be so much oil on someone's thumb?!" because it felt like there was a lot of it on my forehead. Perhaps that was an extrasensory impression! It felt as if my entire forehead was covered.
I took Communion and again, I was at first struck by the physical sensations. The way the communion wafer stuck to the roof of my mouth. How much I had to tilt the chalice back to take a sip of communion wine. An impression of fullness afterward. Fullness, despite being ravenous after the Mass ended and making a sizable dent in the reception buffet afterward.
So I write this, the morning after, on Easter Sunday, amidst a great contentment and joy. I probably wasn't ready for this earlier in my life. So to all of you out there reading this, I want to wish you a wonderful Easter! I love you all madly!