Water and Spirit

There is so much fulfillment when one's dream is realized. Greater more is the fulfillment if it happens within you family cirlce. And it happened with Zach's baptism last July 3, 2005.

I have long been desiring to recreate the liturgy of baptism back to its roots. Inspired by my former professor, Fr. Raul Pura, I dreamt of experiencing its return back to the liturgical practices of the church in the Philippines. But given the enormous number of children being baptized during fiesta, such possibilit is remote, if not nil. But last July 3, such event came right before me.

At the beginning of the liturgy, we brought Zach naked, wrapped in a towel. Jaz became anxious when she saw that it was only Zach who happened to be in that attire. Everybody else are in their best baptismal dresses. Hiding my nervousness and deeply praying that we are not in a wrong place at a wrong time, I tried calming her down.

After so much liturgical gestures and prayers came now the baptism proper. Zach was the first one called by the priest. We gave him to Fr. Brad who in turn, prayed and immersed him in the font for three times uttering the words, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, Zach didnot cry, (our baptismal practice at home was not in vain) As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. It went smoothly as planned and prayed.

I was so happy, not because I was the father, but because it was the liturgy fit for baptism. It highlighted the immersion and rising from the water to a new life. The white garments speaks more of the liturgy. From being naked, we are clothed in the mantle of God's gracious hands, anoined with oil that makes us His children and be the light of the world.

The water is life and makes more alive with the Spirit who welcomes Zach in the Christian community as symbolized by the people who came to welcome him also. They are not only visitors who will partake or devour the blessings of life but they are the people of God who joyfully welcome Zach into their communities, into their families.