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It’s Day 174!!
MCNUGGET DAY!!
The IN BRIEF is always a gift
If you are going to present the Sacrament of Baptism to someone, THESE MCNUGGETS ARE WHAT YOU NEED!!
It’s NOT EVERYTHING you need
BUT…
It’s kind of a lot!!
All you need to add is the barbecue sauce or honey mustard!! 😉
Let’s say a prayer!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven, we give you praise and glory. Thank you for joy. Thank you for laughter. Thank you for, in the midst of the day of our lives, the days of our lives, the sufferings of each day, and the ordinariness of each day, we thank you for giving us the joy of new life. Thank you for giving us the joy of your Son. Thank you for giving us the joy of the Holy Spirit and knowing, Lord God, even in the midst of our worst days and our worst seasons that we have you and you are present to us. Help us to be aware of your presence. Help us to respond to your presence and your invitation by saying YES to you in all things. Help us say YES to you in the wins and in the victories. Help us to say YES to you in the losses and the failures. In the midst of our sin, Lord God, help us to say YES to you so that by your Grace we may be lifted up and be brought back to your heart. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen”
So there we have it!!
These are the ESSENTIAL MCNUGGETS
Every paragraph before today has been very valuable
This is the ESSENTIALS
This is the HEART of what we believe about Baptism
Baptism comes from Jesus Christ
Baptism initiates us into the life of the Christian
Baptism initiates us into the family of God
Baptism initiates us into being God’s sons and daughters
There are SEVEN sacraments
We have THREE sacraments of INITIATION
Paragraph 1275 says, “Christian initiation is accomplished by three sacraments together: Baptism which is the beginning of new life; Confirmation which is its strengthening; and the Eucharist which nourishes the disciple with Christ’s Body and Blood for his transformation in Christ.”
Tomorrow we will talk about the Sacrament of Confirmation
There are also TWO sacraments of HEALING
Anointing of the Sick
Reconciliation
There are also TWO sacraments of VOCATION/MISSION
Holy Matrimony
Holy Orders
There are other VOCATIONS besides Holy Orders and Matrimony
BUT…
There are two SACRAMENTS called Holy Orders and Matrimony which are sacraments of VOCATION/MISSION
Let’s get back to the Sacraments of INITIATION
Baptism gives us this NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
Baptism is a grace and a gift that does not presuppose ANY HUMAN MERIT
NONE OF US have done ANYTHING to receive this new life in Christ
NONE OF US have done ANYTHING to be delivered from the kingdom of darkness and be brought into the Kingdom of Light
NONE OF US have done ANYTHING to have our sins forgiven
IN FACT…
JESUS HAS DONE IT ALL!!
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER!!
EVERYTHING WE DO IS A RESPONSE!!
All of the Sacraments are an INVITATION by the Lord
Anytime we approach the sacraments, it is ALWAYS A RESPONSE TO GOD’S INVITATION
This is especially important when it comes to the sacraments that we repeat often
For example, Reconciliation and Holy Communion
In so many ways, these two sacraments highlight that GOD IS ACTIVELY INVITING YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN HIS NEW LIFE!!
Everytime we go to Confession or to Mass, WE ARE SAYING YES TO THE LORD!!
IN FACT…
Sometimes our temptation when we go to Confession and we beg the Lord to give us another chance
It is so clear in the Bible and in the Catechism that when we go to Confession, it is not actually US begging God to give US another chance
NO!!
It is GOD begging US to PLEASE GIVE GOD ANOTHER CHANCE!! 🤯 🤯 🤯
GIVE GOD’S MERCY ANOTHER CHANCE!!
GIVE GOD’S FORGIVENESS ANOTHER CHANCE!!
GIVE GOD’S RECONCILIATION ANOTHER CHANCE!!
GIVE GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU ANOTHER CHANCE!!
God is INVITING US into His Will
THAT IS WHAT BAPTISM IS!!
It is a grace and a gift from God that DOES NOT PRESUPPOSE ANY HUMAN MERIT
Which is why, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, Baptism has been administered to children
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT!!
Paragraph 1279 says, “The fruit of Baptism, or baptismal grace, is a rich reality that includes forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit. By this very fact the person baptized is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made a sharer in the priesthood of Christ.”
ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAPPENED AT YOUR BAPTISM!!
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL HAPPEN AT YOUR BAPTISM FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT BAPTIZED!!
PAY ATTENTION TO THESE THINGS!!
Remember what we are doing with Catechism in a Year
It is more about TRANSFORMATION rather than transfer of information
TRANSFORMATION!!
If you want to PRAY with something…
If you want to DIVE DEEPLY into this thing that has happened to you or will happen to you in Baptism…
REFLECT ON PARAGRAPH 1279!!
EVERY ONE OF THESE FRUITS IS WORTH PONDERING!!
HOLD THESE GIFTS IN YOUR HANDS!!
REFLECT ON THEM!!
PONDER THEM!!
GIVE GOD PRAISE FOR THEM!!
FORGIVENESS OF SIN!!
We were born OUT of relationship with God
We were born under the dominion of the kingdom of darkness and God brought us into HIS OWN KINGDOM
God forgave our original sin and personal sins
God gave us NEW BIRTH
God made us His adopted son or daughter
It’s not just a you and Jesus situation
You are INCORPORATED INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST
BECAUSE OF THAT WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER
We are also sharers in Christ’s priesthood
We are able to offer EVERYTHING as a sacrifice
EVERY PRAYER!!
EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!!
YOUR WORRIES!!
YOUR CARES!!
YOUR STRESSES!!
YOUR SUFFERINGS!!
YOUR JOY!!
YOU CAN OFFER EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE!!
There is NOT ONE ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE that you cannot offer up to the Father
We talked about this in the life of Jesus
The Paschal Mystery is the culmination of everything
BUT…
EVERY MOMENT OF JESUS’ LIFE WAS AN OFFERING IN OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER!!
Because we share in the priesthood of Christ through Baptism, we also get to offer EVERY MOMENT OF OUR LIFE as an offering
At the Mass, we get to participate in the great Sacrifice of the Son to the Father in the Eucharist through the Power of the Holy Spirit IN A UNIQUE WAY!!
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE WORTH REFLECTING ON, PRAYING ON, AND THANKING GOD!!
THIS IS ABOUT CONVERSION!!
THIS IS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION!!
Yes the MCNUGGETS ARE SO GOOD
It’s good to have this information in our minds
BUT…
Even more powerfully to pause and say, “God, thank you for this great gift!! Let me reflect on this gift. Let me live this gift.”
IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU!!
WE ARE CALLED TO UNPACK IT AND LIVE IT AND HAVE THAT FRUIT IN OUR OWN LIVES!!
WHICH TAKES GOD’S GRACE!!
WHICH TAKES PRAYER!!
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
I cannot WAIT to see you tomorrow!!
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