Reflections of a Simple Priest

Today, as we celebrate, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, I'd like us to think back to the last time we saw a baptism.  Maybe it was a family member, maybe it was someone we didn't know at Sunday mass.  It's a joyful occasion, the parents are excited, there's a little bouncing baby up front, there's something about a baptism that gets an entire parish excited.  It's a moment when we gather together to profess our faith with Joy, welcoming a new member into our community. Of course we also have the joy of welcoming in adult baptisms.  This year, I'm excited to say that between the places I serve, it looks like we'll have 6 Adult Baptisms.  There too, it's a joy to welcome someone new into our community.  Sometimes though, entering that new community can be scary.  Sometimes it's so easy to convince ourselves that we'll mess it up.  Sometimes we're afraid of what people will think.  Baptism means new life, and a new real...