 Our budding philosopher, still just a teenager, claimed with great authority, “Kids crave discipline.” I laughed so hard milk sprayed from my mouth. He, of all our children, seemed the least disciplined: the dog occasionally ate his homework; he was often late for school; I was forever hounding him to complete chores. On second thought, perhaps he knew from experience exactly what he meant—kids crave—need, long for, discipline. In this Sunday’s second reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews, we read of God’s use of discipline, “Endure your trials as ‘discipline’; God treats you as sons. For what ‘son' is there whom his father does not discipline?” No one likes to endure trials nor seeks discipline, so what is the writer talking about?
 After our granddaughter’s baptism, one person commented on the beauty of the service. I agreed wholeheartedly, “The baptism was wonderful!” He walked on. In my heart, I exclaimed: “Actually, it was more than a beautiful service. Baptism is everything! It’s the dying and rising in Christ. It's being born of the Spirit! It's becoming an adopted child of God! It’s salvation! What could be more important? Isn’t this the entire point of life—to share in God’s life here and in heaven? This is our faith!” At baptism, each parent has been entrusted to pass on the light of our faith in Jesus Christ.
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ReflectionsThe blog on this page presents reflections on the Sunday readings through the lens of a parent/grandparent, aiding leaders of the domestic church in their vital task as “first heralds” or “first preachers” of the Good News in the home. Archives
December 2020
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