Remember Your Baptism

Far from being a single moment in the life of a Christian, baptism has ongoing meaning in our lives. Baptism marks us as Christ's own forever. In Remember Your Baptism, Jeanne Finan offers meditations that convey the depth and beauty of baptism for those who have been long baptized or are preparing for their own baptism or that of a child or friend. Perfect for individual reading or as a resource for groups, Remember Your Baptism invites us into a deeper understanding of this great sacrament given by Christ to his Church. Each chapter is accompanied by a drawing by Charles Perkalis, a painter and illustrator in the New York area. "Baptism is not just a rational decision to accept Christ and Christian teachings. God's call evokes a far deeper promise and commitment with us and within us. The new covenant with Jesus Christ has been written not on tablets of stone but directly on our hearts. The sacrament of baptism is the Spirit-sealed promise of an ongoing and ever-continuing covenant with God. God's covenant is this: Baptism is once and for all time. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ's own forever, and that seal is indissoluble. "Throughout our worldly lives, God challenges us to 'choose this day whom you will serve' (Joshua 24:15). It is up to us to remember each day what we promise to believe, to remember what we promise to do, and to remember who it is that has set the rainbow in the sky (Genesis 9:12-16). It is up to us to remember our baptism and to be grateful for the gift of a covenant sealed with the indissoluble love of God. --from Remember Your Baptism