In the 18 years I have been ordained a deacon, I probably have baptized a thousand or more children under the age of seven. In the early years I immersed or “dunked” them. As time goes on I now pour water over their heads so I don’t drop one by mistake, should my hands become too wet.
If I could offer a survey to all my subscribers that asked the question: Have you ever been afraid as a child, teenager, or adult, most, if not all, would answer yes. The range of responses might be about monsters living under one’s bed that will take you away, asking someone out and being rejected or losing a job if you made too many errors.
It is interesting to watch people who approach the sanctuary to receive Eucharist at Communion time. Most are respectful in the reverence they illustrate in bowing, receiving and blessing themselves. They realize that in addition to what they normally do to partake, that the physical presence of the resurrected Jesus is “actually” in the consecrated bread in whatever form it takes.
Mysteries can be fascinating if you have a mind that enjoys being challenged. Though finding a result of this may be what is sought, the real satisfaction seems to lie in the varying paths one is led down to receive a solution of what is meant by each twist and turn. The hope is one will have a clear picture of what is meant at the end of the journey.
