Spiritual Fitness

7 Ways to Remember that You are Baptized into Christ
Our spiritual fitness exercises this month are aimed at helping us live more fully our baptism into Christ.
I do not remember my baptism. I was only a baby. Most Catholics were baptized as children, and may not have any pictures or videos to remind them of this holy and life-changing event. God's saving and sanctifying grace comes to us whenever we were baptized. Living out our baptism means that we allow ourselves to be clay in the potter's hands. It means to have a firm grasp of one's own identity as a child of God. Therefore, spiritual fitness this month can include:
1 Find out your baptismal birthday. Call your parents if you do not know. Call the church of your baptism. The parish secretary can look it up for you in a few minutes. They do it all the time. Celebrate your baptismal birthday each year by rededicating yourself to God, and thanking God for being chosen to be his son or daughter. Thank God and those who in faith had you baptized, or those who helped you enter the church.
2 Remind yourself daily of your baptism into Christ. One practical time to do this is during one’s bath or shower time. As the soap and water cleanses the body, remember how the grace of Christ has washed away original sin and all sin in baptism. In baptism, we die with Christ and rise with him to new life. When you leave the shower refreshed and clean, remember how the grace of baptism makes us ready and clean to do the work the Lord has for us each day.
3 Immerse yourself in sacred Scripture. Our baptism into Christ means that we are children of God, and members of Christ’s body. Jesus is the Word made flesh. If we are united to him, we also must be united to his words. They must become a part of us. That is a huge part of living out our baptism. St. Jerome, who spent much of his life translating and studying sacred Scripture, said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” A verse a day keeps the devil at bay. Pick one of the four Gospels and one letter from the New Testament letters and read them each day. You could also choose to read the daily Mass readings. Many churches have the weekly readings published in their bulletins. There are also many Internet sites that post the daily readings. See the Lansing diocese Web site at www.DioceseofLansing.org. and go to Catholic USA (catholicusa.com) for daily Mass readings.
4 Go on a retreat. Retreats are instruments God uses to stir into flame the gift we have received in baptism – namely the gift of the Holy Spirit. So often, we let the gift of baptism lay dormant within us. It is like the winter ground outside. There is life there, but is buried under the cold frozen earth. Retreats soften and warm the ground of our souls and allow the life God has planted in us at baptism to burst forth.
5 Die to sin. Live for God. Baptism is about death and life. Water can drown us. In baptism, water is used to remind us of this. The old self dies. Water also gives life. The new self, reconstituted by the Holy Spirit, rises to new life. Examine your conscience in the light of the commandments and the teachings of Christ. Do not hide from the light of God's word. Be honest and die. When we repent, our baptismal graces are renewed. A good confession can restore those graces if serious sin is involved.
6 Work on unity. Baptism unites us to Christ and other Christians. Do not see other Christians as denominations, but first and foremost as brothers and sisters in Christ.
7 Live the mission. Baptism empowers us to act as Jesus did. We cannot forget our calling. To live out our baptism means discipleship, and discipleship embraces the mission of Jesus Christ. We feed the poor, we clothe the naked, we comfort the dying, we take care of the sick, we visit the lonely, we pray for the needs of others, we teach, we heal, we proclaim the truth, we ask for forgiveness, we forgive, we encourage. If we live our baptism well, we can join St. Paul in saying, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

By: Fr. Bill Ashbaugh is pastor of St. Joseph Parish, Howell
Originally Published: February 2002