My Coat Dilemma

Kind of an odd thing . . . every day when I pull my winter coat out of our front closet, the hanger falls on the floor.  Now you would think that after doing this countless times, I would develop the habit of grabbing hold of the hanger and catching it before it falls, forcing me to bend over to pick it up.

I’m just sayin’.

But before you judge me, think about this.

Do you have a habit that you have allowed to continue that you know you should get a handle on?  Is there something in your life that you do ritually every day, that doesn’t make sense?  

Uh huh, I thought so.

While my little coat hanger problem doesn’t impact my health negatively (it maybe actually be helping me because I have to bend over), that is not true for other habits that we develop.

So what are we going to do about our problem?  Can I be retrained to grab my hanger to prevent it from dropping to the floor whenever I grab my coat?  Sure, if I stop doing it mindlessly.  And therein lies the problem.

So much of what we do, we do on autopilot.  For instance, driving can become dangerous if we do it automatically.  Eating can become unhealthy if we are not careful.  And even binge-watching our favorite show can turn into the sin of laziness.

But there’s another place we often function on auto pilot—our faith.  Spiritual apathy can be our undoing; it may be just as dangerous—or maybe even more so—than those other daily rituals we perform without thinking.

If we move through life uncommitted or not believing in the necessity of faith, we are placing ourselves in quite a precarious position.  Let’s look at the importance of baptism, for instance.

Why do we need baptism?  What does it actually do for us?

Well, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which is the compendium of the Church’s teaching on faith and morals), baptism is the “basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to other sacraments.”

This isn’t some nice ritual that the Church made up in order to force people to become Christian.  It is pre-figured in the Old Testament and actually instituted by Jesus himself in the New Testament.

That is why it does not make sense for someone to believe in God and yet be unwilling to be baptized, or have their children baptized—if they consider themselves Christian.

Baptism is the path to eternal life with God, something that we can hope for.  When holy water is poured over the unbaptized, there are a few things to consider:

• Water can be deadly or life-giving
  
•  In baptism, we “die” to our old self and take on our new “life” in Christ
  
• We are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
  
• We receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit which are active in us our entire life
  
• We are given God’s grace as “all sins are forgiven, original sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.” (*CCC1263)

And the last thing I want to mention about baptism also comes from the Catechism whose clear and concise statements add clarity:

“Immersion in water symbolizes not only death and purification, but also regeneration and renewal.”  (CCC1262)

You see, baptism is not simply about “joining” a church, but it is a saving act of God.  If you believe in God, why would you reject his gift?

If you have had a falling out with the Church, or if someone has said or done something that offended you, please do not let that prevent you from re-establishing your foundation in Christ in his church.

If you are new to this faith thing, it is easy to get started.  Just make a phone call to the church you are interested in and let them show you the steps to take.  You will never regret it.

Like my coat dilemma where I mindlessly reach for my coat and drop the hanger, mindlessly moving through life believing in God but allowing your faith to drop simply does not make any sense at all.

(Be sure to click on links inserted in this blog for further information or additional resources.) 

*CCC 1263 refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its paragraph number

 

God bless,

Janet Cassidy

janetcassidy.com