From the Bishop: Keeping Our Promises

by Bishop Paul J. Bradley

We’ve all been anxiously awaiting those beautiful first signs of spring — the glimpse of the crocus breaking through the ground; the robins’ early morning chirping and nest-building; and the additional minutes of daylight brightening our morning and evening walks. The earth in all its splendor will soon be renewed and treats us to an array of colors and sounds to soothe our senses.

Likewise, in our liturgical life, we have journeyed through the season of Lent, and being brought to a deeper level of our faith, as we reflect once again on Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection which we joyfully celebrate throughout this glorious Easter season.

During this season of new life our dioce-san Church also continues the process of the first-ever diocesan Synod on Priestly Life and Ministry (see story on pages 22-23). Many of you may think the work of the synod is only applicable to our priests and only involves the participation of our delegates. However, each of us, as baptized members of the Body of Christ, have the same important mission to continuously renew our faith and deepen our love for Jesus.

Pope Francis, in a recent weekly audience, stated it beautifully when he explained,“By virtue of the baptism received and the consequent incorporation into the Church, every baptized person participates in the mission of the Church, and in the mission of Christ the King, Priest and Prophet. Every baptized person is an agent of evangelization.”

The promises we made on the day of our baptism form the foundation of our lives in faith, and they are the guiding sense of who we are, why we do what we do and where we are ultimately going — to live with our Heavenly Father in our Eternal Home. It’s important to remember the first thing Christ did in his public ministry was submit himself for baptism.

Many of us likely were baptized as infants and, as such, don’t remember our baptism, when our parents and godparents professed our baptismal promises on our behalf. However, as adults and as faithful members of the Body of Christ, we have the opportunity to renew those promises on Easter Sunday, and throughout the Easter season.

Our baptismal promises are presented to us as a series of questions. The first set of questions asks us to renounce Satan, his works and all his worldly displays. The second set of questions asks about our beliefs in God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the resurrec-tion of Christ and life everlasting.

Priest. Do you renounce Satan?
All. I do.
P. And all his works?
A. I do.
P. And all his empty promises?
A. I do.
P. Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
A. I do.
P. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father?
A. I do.
P. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?
A. I do.
P. And may almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us new birth by water and the Holy Spirit and bestowed on us forgiveness of our sins, keep us by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord, for eternal life.
A. Amen.

My dear sisters and brothers, the journey of faith that launched each of us on the day of our baptism, and which we continue throughout our lives, requires us to grow deeper in our understanding of God’s love for us and to share that love. We do this through our participation in the Mass, the sacraments, in the work of our parish and diocesan Church, and most importantly in the actions and choices of our daily lives. That is why we must renew our baptismal promises regularly; to keep us vigilant and focused on who we are, why we do what we do, and where our final destination is.

As the natural world around us renews in this springtime, may we, too, be inspired by the Victory Jesus has won for us all so we can continue to boldly proclaim our faith with joy, courage and conviction.