DOCSLIB.ORG

Confirmation

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Confirmation St. Francis of Assisi Parish Wakefield, Rhode Island 02879 RCIA – Deacon Paul Iacono 2009 Confirmation: The Last Sacrament of Initiation First, let us examine the first Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles – Chapter 2 ff Second, let’s examine this article that I have adapted and abridged called Confirmation: “7 Symbols in 1 Sacrament” by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M., Th.D. There are 7 symbols found within the Sacrament of Confirmation: 1. Community: a) The primary symbol of Confirmation is the community itself. b) Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist are sacraments of initiation, initiation into a community. The community is the sign of Christ’s presence for you. 2. Baptism: a) Every Confirmation begins with Baptism. b) The early Church saw Confirmation as a part of the Baptism experience. God’s grace fills us with redemption and salvation. This grace, this presence of the love of God in us, is the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. 3. Anointing: a) Anointing can mean many things. From ancient times, oil has been a symbol of strength, healing and agility. Christians believe that Jesus of Nazareth was this anointed one. b) Our Christian Scriptures were written in the Greek language and "the Anointed One" is translated as "Christ" in Greek. Some of us are so used to speaking of "Jesus Christ" that "Christ" almost seems like Jesus’ last name. We forget that it means Jesus, the Anointed One, the Messiah. c) The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist initiate us into that "oiled" community, the community anointed to continue the vocation of the Messiah, the Christ. 4. Touch: a) From ancient times, to impose hands on someone or to extend one’s hand over the person’s head was the sign of calling down the Holy Spirit. b) At Baptism, the deacon, priest, or bishop lays his hand on those to be baptized and marks them with the sign of the cross. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the priest may lay his hands on the head of the penitent and proclaims the words of absolution. During the Anointing of the Sick, the priest imposes hands on the person to be anointed. c) In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the bishop imposes hands on the one to be ordained deacon, priest, or bishop. During the Sacrament of Matrimony the presider extends hands over the couple that have pronounced their wedding vows and calls the Holy Spirit upon them so that they may remain faithful in the marriage covenant. d) In the Sacrament of Eucharist, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit upon the gifts, extends his hands over the bread and wine and prays that the Holy Spirit change them into the Body and Blood of Christ so that we who receive them may be changed into that Body. 1 St. Francis of Assisi Parish Wakefield, Rhode Island 02879 RCIA – Deacon Paul Iacono 2009 4. Touch: e) In Confirmation, the presider (usually the Bishop, sometimes the priest on Holy Saturday evening) places his hand on the head of each one to be confirmed and prays that the Holy Spirit descend upon them. You will hear this prayer: "All powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their Helper and Guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence" (Rite of Confirmation, #25). 5. Words: a) When you are anointed, the presider first says your name and then says, "Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit." Think about the significance of each of these words. b) Your Name: What does it mean to be called by a name? c) Seal: This word has a rich meaning in our religion. In Confirmation we receive God’s mark, God’s seal. God permanently and eter- nally seals us as His Anointed Ones. d) We receive the Sacrament of Baptism and Confirmation only once. What happens to us in Confirmation conforms us to Christ that the sacrament can never be repeated. We speak of this special conformity to Christ as the sacramental character of Confirmation. e) Gift: This is a key word in the Sacrament of Confirmation. But Confirmation is not our work. It is God’s gift (all grace is God’s gift). And what is that gift? The Holy Spirit is God’s first gift to those who believe. f) Spirit – Helper and Guide - When we speak of "team spirit," for example, we are referring to something which the members of the team possess and also something that is "beyond" the individual members. It is something that they all share, something that energizes them, something that gives them a common goal and vision. The Holy Spirit is God’s BREATH in us. God’s breath gives our bodies a special (divine) life, energy and enthusiasm. As a result, it enables us to have a common Christian goal. The Spirit makes us not only like the members of a team, but also makes us much more. We become the members of one body, Christ’s body. The Holy Spirit unites us in the Body of Christ so that, with him, we can call God our Father, actually "Abba," which is more like dad. It is this Holy Spirit that gives us our identity, which tells us who we are: a member of the Body of Christ. At the Last Supper Jesus says to the disciples, "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). In this analogy, the Holy Spirit can be compared to the sap of the plant, giving life to both vine and branches. 6. The Minister: a) Usually the bishop; on Holy Saturday night in this parish it will be the pastor. b) When the bishop is the minister of Confirmation, this symbol reminds us that the bishop is the original minister of all the 2 St. Francis of Assisi Parish Wakefield, Rhode Island 02879 RCIA – Deacon Paul Iacono 2009 6. … sacraments. The bishop presiding is also a symbol of the fact that we are initiated into a Church which is much larger than our parish. 7. Eucharist: a) The final and most important symbol of Confirmation is Eucharist. Eucharist is the fullness of Confirmation and the completion of Christian initiation. In Baptism our sins are washed away [made possible by Christ’s death for us]; in Confirmation we are filled with the Holy Spirit = [ruah –Hebrew for God’s breath]; and in Eucharist we are continually fed with the Body and Blood of our Lord so that we may do His works throughout our lives [from Eucharistic Prayer # 3: “.... Grant that we, who are nourished by His body and blood, may be filled with his Holy Spirit, and become one body, one spirit in Christ."]. We enter into that moment of our redemption at every Mass. We are transformed into His Body when we worthily receive Him in the Eucharist. b) The Holy Spirit empowers us to continue Christ’s messianic (anointed) vocation. The life of Christ was first and foremost a life praising God. Our praise of God culminates in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the repeatable part of Confirmation. In each Eucharist the Holy Spirit comes upon us anew to strengthen us for service. c) If we cooperate with Him, the Holy Spirit fulfills in our lives the command of Christ: “Do this in memory of me.” We can live our lives as Christ lived His. As St. Paul wrote in his Second Letter to the Corinthians (5:18), we continue “Christ’s ministry of reconciliation” and serve as agents of healing in this broken world. This is the ministry of Confirmation; this is the ministry of Christianity, this is our ministry. These notes were created using Thomas Richstatter’s materials; whom I wish to thank for enabling me to do so. Rev. Thomas Richstatter is a Franciscan friar who has a doctorate in liturgy and sacramental theology from the Institute Catholique de Paris. Father Richstatter’s newest book is The Sacraments: How Catholics Pray, published by St. Anthony Messenger Press. 3 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Participation in the Life of God (CCC 1997)
    1/27/2013 1 Participation in the life of God (CCC 1997) 2 1 1/27/2013 Grace Definition from Catechism (2nd edition) The free and undeserved gift that God gives us to respond to our vocation to become his adopted children. As sanctifying grace, God shares his divine life and friendship with us in a habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that enables the soul to live with God, to act by his love. As actual grace, God gives us the help to conform our lives to his will. Sacramental grace and special graces (charisms, the grace of one's state of life) are gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us live out our Christian vocation. (CCC 1996, 2000, 654) 3 Grace Creation narratives and the Fall First Story of Creation (Gen 1:1-2:4a) Second Story of Creation (Gen 2:4b-25) The Fall (Gen 3:1-24) 4 2 1/27/2013 Compendium of the Catechism 77g2. What was the original condition of the human person according to the plan of God? In creating man and woman God had given them a special participation in his own divine life in holiness and justice. In the plan of God they would not have had to suffer or die. Furthermore, a perfect harmony held sway within the human person, a harmony between creature and Creator, between man andllbtthfithld woman, as well as between the first human couple and all of creation. (CCC 374-379; 384) 5 Compendium of the Catechism 73. How should we understand the reality of sin? Sin is present in human history.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Christian Initiation: an Overview of the RCIA
    Introduction to Christian Initiation: An Overview of the RCIA Catholic Diocese of Saginaw Saturday, May 14, 2016 Center for Ministry Part I: An Overview of Christian Initiation Christian Initiation … • … the various stages and periods that constitute the full and paradigmatic form of becoming a member of the Christian community. • This communal process has a two-fold goal: (1) personal commitment to Christ in a way of life based on the gospel; and (2) integration into the ecclesial community. (Encyclopedia of Catholicism, The Harper-Collins’, New York; Richard P. McBrien, General Editor © 1995) • The Catholic church recognizes seven sacraments. The number 7 is symbolic of perfection or wholeness. • We believe that the Lord has left the Christian community with these seven signs of love to touch us during the key moments of our lives and to empower us to be a priestly community. • When we begin life, BAPTISM unites us with the Risen Lord and all our fellow Christians. • As we mature and more fully begin to accept and live the Christian life, CONFIRMATION showers us with the strength of the Holy Spirit to live faithfully for the Lord. • These two sacraments of initiation form Christians into a priestly people who can celebrate the liturgy. • The EUCHARIST, the summit of Christian worship, is a sacred meal that commemorates and re-enacts the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross for our salvation. It nourishes our faith and both signifies and brings about our union with God. [CCC: 1113; 1119-1120; 1122; 1132] • … the sacraments of baptism and confirmation … along with eucharist … are sacraments of initiation which lay the foundation of every Christian life.
    [Show full text]
  • Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Introductory Material
    Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults Introductory Material CONTENTS Introduction 1 Structure of the Initiation of Adults 1 Ministries and Offices 2 Time and Place of Initiation 4 Adaptations by the Conferences of Bishops in the use of the Roman Ritual 6 Adaptations by the Bishop 7 Adaptations by the Minister 7 Part 1: Christian Initiation of Adults Outline for Christian Initiation of Adults 9 Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate 10 First Step: Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens 11 Period of the Catechumenate 13 Rites belonging to the Period of the Catechumenate 15 Celebrations of the Word of God 15 Minor Exorcisms 16 Blessings of the Catechumens 16 Optional Rites during the Catechumenate 17 Anointing of the Catechumens 17 Presentations 17 Second Step: Election or Enrolment of Names 18 Period of Purification and Enlightenment 20 Rites belonging to the Period of Purification and Enlightenment 21 Scrutinies 21 Presentations 22 Preparation Rites on Holy Saturday 23 Model for a Celebration of the Preparation Rites 23 Recitation Of The Creed 23 Ephphetha Rite 24 Choosing A Baptismal Name 24 Anointing with the Oil of Catechumens 24 Third Step: Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation 25 Period of Postbaptismal Catechesis or Mystagogy 28 Part II: Rites for Particular Circumstances 1 Christian Initiation of Children who have reached Catechetical Age 30 First Step: Acceptance into the Order of Catechumens 32 Second Step: Penitential Rites (Scrutinies) 32 Third Step: Celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation 33 Period of Postbaptismal
    [Show full text]
  • Rite of Confirmation, So That the Unity of Christian Initiation May Be Shown in Its True Light
    Apostolic Constitution on The Sacrament of Confirmation Paul, Bishop Servant of the Servants of God for an Everlasting Memorial The sharing in the divine nature given to individuals through the grace of Christ bears a certain likeness to the origin, development, and nourishing of natural life. Born anew by Baptism, the faithful are strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation and ultimately are sustained by the food of eternal life in the Eucharist. By means of these Sacraments of Christian Initiation, they thus receive in increasing measure the treasures of divine life and advance toward the perfection of charity. It has rightly been written: ‘The flesh is washed, that the soul may be cleansed; the flesh is anointed, that the soul may be consecrated; the flesh is signed, that the soul too may be fortified; the flesh is overshadowed by the laying on of hands, that the soul too may be enlightened by the Spirit; the flesh is fed on the Body and Blood of Christ, that the soul too may be richly nourished by God.’1 Conscious of its pastoral charge, the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council devoted special attention to these Sacraments of Initiation, prescribing that the rites should be suitably revised and more accommodated to the understanding of the faithful. Since, therefore, the Ordo Baptismi parvulorum, revised at the mandate of the same universal Synod and published at Our command, is already in use, it is now fitting to publish a Rite of Confirmation, so that the unity of Christian Initiation may be shown in its true light. In fact, careful work and study have been devoted in these last years to the task of revising the manner of celebrating this Sacrament.
    [Show full text]
  • Sacramental Guidelines
    Sacramental Guidelines Diocese of Pueblo The Initiation of Persons Over the Age of Reason Overall Norms Rite of Christian Initation for Uncatechized and Unbaptized Adults Rite of Christian Initiation for Uncatechized and Unbaptized Children of Catechetical Age Rite of Reception into Full Communion for Non-Catholic Christians Rite of Completing Initiation for Uncatechized Adult Catholics Spring 2010 Spring 2010 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Enclosed you will find Diocese of Pueblo Sacramental Guidelines for the initiation of persons over the age of reason. These norms are partial, a supplement to the sacramental guidelines currently in place. I promulgate them at this time to assist you in your initiation ministry. These guidelines are the result of recommendations by the Council for Lifelong Catechesis and extensive consultations across the Diocese of Pueblo with priests, deacons and catechetical leaders. They have been reviewed as well by members of the diocesan staff. The guidelines mark for us a solid start to what will be over the next years a thorough review of all guidelines for our Pueblo Church’s sacramental life. I am grateful to the Council for Lifelong Catechesis for spearheading this effort. I offer my heartfelt thanks especially to all those who participated in the consultations. Your reflection, discernment and insight have made this work practical and helpful, even as they have already begun to bear fruit in initiation ministry. That essential fruit emerges from the guiding principle of these guidelines: the governing determinant of the Church’s initiation process is always the candidate, never a parish’s program. At their heart, these supplemental guidelines call us to embrace a life of transformation not only for catechumens and candidates, but for the whole parish community and the entire Church of Pueblo.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sacraments of Christian Initiation: God’S Invitation and Our Response
    THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION: GOD’S INVITATION AND OUR RESPONSE I. Introduction: God Invites Us to Live a Covenant Relationship In the beginning God created the world and all that is in it. He created man and woman in his own likeness and related with them personally as indicated by his walking and talking with them in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3). God created us to know, love and serve him in this life and to live with him forever in the next life—in heaven, our everlasting home. The Scriptures record the countless times that God has revealed himself to humankind and invited us into a personal relationship with him. God established a covenant relationship with the people of Israel through Abraham, sent prophets to ask his people to be faithful and live their relationship with him fully, and gave them priests and kings to shepherd his people. In the fullness of time God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, to establish a new and everlasting covenant—a relationship with God open to all peoples. Jesus suffered, died and rose from the dead establishing this relationship (covenant) between God and all people, reconciling us to the Father, providing for us the opportunity of forgiveness of sins and the gift of everlasting life. With his ascension into heaven and the sending of the gift of the Holy Spirit on that first Pentecost, Jesus entrusted the care of this new covenant to the Church and promised to be with his followers always. One way that Jesus fulfills this promise and makes himself present to us from generation to generation is in the sacraments.
    [Show full text]
  • The Original Order of Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist
    THE ORIGINAL ORDER OF SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION: BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, EUCHARIST Introduction In January 2016, Bishop Clarence Silva promulgated the new norms concerning the restoration of the original order of the Sacraments of Initiation. The Sacraments of Initiation throughout the Diocese of Honolulu will be: Baptism: in infancy; Confirmation and First Holy Communion: at the age of discretion (about age 7). Children will receive first Penance prior to Confirmation and first Holy Communion. Parishes, upon establishing a comprehensive youth ministry program, may elect to implement restoring the original order of the sacraments of initiation in one of three years. The first group of parishes will celebrate Confirmation and First Holy Communion for children in 2018, the second group of parishes in 2019, the third group in 2020. Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, in this order, will be the norm across the diocese in 2020. Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is Confirmation? Confirmation is the second of the three sacraments of Christian initiation. Confirmation is the completion of Baptism and the sacrament by which the baptized faithful are anointed with chrism by the laying on of hands. The grace received is the fullness of the Holy Spirit and his gifts. We also describe this fullness as the completion, strengthening, or perfection of the Holy Spirit received in Baptism. 2. What are the Sacraments of Initiation? The sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are interrelated and all three are required for full Christian initiation. The Christian is born anew by Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation, and receives in the Eucharist the food of eternal life.
    [Show full text]
  • WHAT IS a SACRAMENT? St Augustine, in the 5Th Century Described a Sacrament As 'An Outward and Visible Sign of an Inward
    WHAT IS A SACRAMENT? St Augustine, in the 5 th century described a sacrament as ‘an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace.’ It sounds a very simple answer, but, to understand the depth of what that means, we need to probe rather more deeply. THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY As Christians the journey of our lives is about coming to know God better, about building the kingdom of God here on earth, and, finally, to be with God forever. As Catholic Christians we move on this journey as the Church, that gathering of the baptised, striving to be the sign of Christ in the world. Thus, we are a community, the community of Christ. St John, in his gospel tells us ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’ (John 3:16) God’s love for us, his will for us to participate in his life, is manifested in the Incarnation, God’s giving of himself in the humanity of Jesus; ‘the word became flesh and lived among us’ (John 1:14) Jesus is the visible, outward sign of God’s love for us. And, in turn, it is in the Church that Christ remains visible and tangible for us, most particularly in our encounters with him in the sacraments. The sacraments are where we meet Christ, where God’s action, in Christ, through the Church, transforms us, bringing us to what God wants us to be. As baptised Christians, this is what we want too, we want to be what God wills for us.
    [Show full text]
  • 6:30 Pm – 9:00 Pm
    SCHEDULE OF LESSONS FOR THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION 2010-2011 SUNDAYS, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM November 14, 2010 Parent Gathering at Sacred Heart Church – 6:30 PM December 12, 2010 Unit 1: Baptism and Eucharist Our discussion of confirmation necessarily includes a reflection on the other initiation sacraments: Baptism and Eucharist. Pope Paul IV, in his Apostolic Constitution on the Sacrament of Confirmation , quotes Vatican II’s Constitution on the Liturgy to situate the revised Rite of Confirmation as a sacrament of initiation: “The aim of this work [revision of the rite] has been that ‘the intimate connection of this sacrament with the whole of Christian initiation may stand out more clearly’ ( SC , n. 71).” Through the Sacrament of Baptism, we receive forgiveness of all sins, personal and original; we become children of God and members of the Body of Christ, the Church; and we share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal mission of Christ. Baptism is the foundation for the source of unity between Christians (see CCC , nos. 1262-1274). Our participation in the Eucharist broadens our union with Christ, separates us from sin, forms us into the Church, commits us to the poor and is the continued source of unity of Christians (see CCC , nos. 1391-1401). January 23, 2011 Unit 2: The Gift of the Spirit The promised Holy Spirit serves as a new advocate for disciples in the time between the resurrection-ascension of Christ and Christ’s return in glory. The gift of the Holy Spirit transforms the believers into children of God.
    [Show full text]
  • Receiving Sacraments “Out of Order”
    Receiving Sacraments “Out of Order” Reflections on the Original Order Diocese of Honolulu Questions? [email protected] Did you know that children baptized as infants usually receive the sacraments out of sequence, out of order? To be fully initiated as Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, we receive three sacraments, namely Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation. When Confirmation comes last, perhaps even years after First Communion, we can get the impression that Confirmation is the “final” sacrament, that Confirmation is what brings us fully into the Body of Christ. This is not true. Our faith tells us that Eucharist, not Confirmation, is the source and summit of our faith. Our faith tells us that First Communion is what completes our initiation into the life of Christ. In 1971, Blessed Pope Paul VI issued the revised Rite of Confirmation saying “The faithful are born anew by Baptism, strengthened by the sacrament of Confirmation, and finally are sustained by the food of eternal life in the Eucharist…… the faithful, after being signed by holy Baptism and Confirmation, are incorporated fully into the body of Christ by participation in the Eucharist” (Apostolic Constitution, “Divinae Consortium Naturae,” 1971). Over the coming weeks, we’ll more fully explore these three sacraments as well as the upcoming changes our diocese is making to establish the original order of the three sacraments of initiation. Thinking About the Sacraments of Initiation Reflections on the Original Order Diocese of Honolulu Questions? [email protected] “The (three) sacraments of Christian initiation lay the foundations of every Christian life” Catechism of the Catholic Church, no.1212.
    [Show full text]
  • The Introductory Rites the Liturgy of the Word After
    CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION OUTSIDE THE USUAL TIMES THE INTRODUCTORY RITES THE LITURGY OF THE WORD AFTER THE HOMILY THE MINISTER PRESENTS THE CANDIDATES CELEBRATION OF BAPTISM PRESENTATION OF THE CANDIDATES Minister/RCIA Leader: Most Reverend Father, it is with great honor and pleasure that I would like to present to you the candidates for full initiation into the Catholic Church through Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion. Elect, as I call your names please come forward with your sponsors: NAMES OF THE ELECT Presider: [Using the Roman Missal paragraph #40 from the Easter Vigil Celebration the priest says the introductory statement.] Deacon/Presider: Let us kneel. THE LITANY OF THE SAINTS IS SUNG: [All kneel for the Litany of the Saints.] Presider: [After the Litany is completed and at the baptism font with hands extended the priest says the prayer from the RM.] 1 CELEBRATION OF THE SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION OUTSIDE THE USUAL TIMES BLESSING OF BAPTISMAL WATER Presider: [The priest blesses the water using the blessing from the Roman Missal paragraph #46 from the Easter Vigil without dipping the Easter candle in the water] **CHOIR SINGS A SUITABLE ACCLAMATION** PROFESSION OF FAITH - RENUNCIATION OF SIN Presider: [The priest, standing, puts the prescribed questions to the adults and the parents or godparents of the children as is set out on the revised Order of Confirmation paragraph #23.] Presider: Do you renounce Satan, and all his works and empty promises? Elect: I do. Presider: Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? Elect: I do.
    [Show full text]
  • BAPTISM & CONFIRMATION: Sacraments of Initiation 13
    13 BAPTISM & CONFIRMATION: Sacraments of Initiation (C 1212-1321, USC Chs. 15 & 16) In this article, we will look at the first two sacraments new members into her midst through the sacrament of of initiation: Baptism and Confirmation. Baptism. The Sacraments of Christian Initiation (C 1212, USC Four Effects of Baptism (C 1262-1274, USC 192). The p. 183). The Catechism (1285) states that Baptism, the Catechism lists the following four effects of the sacra- Eucharist and Confirmation together constitute the ment of Baptism on those who receive it. “sacraments of Christian initiation,” whose unity must be safe-guarded. The three sacraments of initiation are • All sin is wiped away. For the infant, this means closely related. Baptism brings the new life of Christ; original sin. For children over the “age of reason” Confirmation strengthens the new life of Christ; and (seven years) and adults, this means both original and the Eucharist nourishes the new life of Christ. Together personal sin. In the early church, adults removed all they make us full members of the Church and they clothing prior to entering the waters of Baptism, bestow the fullness of the Holy Spirit so that we can symbolizing their intention to shed a sinful or old way live more like Christ. of life. They went down into the tomb with Christ, signaling their intention to die to sin and to all that is THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM not of Christ. Hence, the decision to seek Baptism was (C 1213-1284 USC Ch 15) a very radical one. It involved a radical conversion of heart and mind, a decision to turn away from all that In what may have been a baptismal homily, St.
    [Show full text]