Who's Child Am I?
As the first-born child in my family, it took a couple of years before my siblings started arriving. Believe it or not, at that time in life, I initially felt very shy when having to deal with "strange" people. That condition got worse at large events like wedding receptions. I would get wary and puzzled when some older person would get a big grin on his or her face and let out with the question, "And whose little boy are you?" If possible, I would then flee back to one of my parents.
Otherwise I would just squirm and hope that something else would distract the inquirer. But the question came up all the time in those situations. Sometimes it might have been asked because they really didn't know whom this relatively new arrival in the family belonged to. The questions would only compound my shyness and I doubt that I ever told them to whom I belonged.
St. Paul complains to the Corinthians that they are saying, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Peter," or "I belong to Christ." (1 Corinthians 1:12) Now whether musing on a little boy's predicament a long time ago, or trying to understand the potentially divisive factions straining the progress of grace in the Apostolic Church, you have to admit that this sense of "belonging" is a stretch for anyone immersed in the popular culture of the 21st century. Whether we are talking about political parties, philanthropic organizations, clubs or any other social construct, most people are reluctant to buy into the whole set of relationships and values that define a group.
This is definitely one of the hidden obstacles to a life of faith, an obstacle that bears examining during the Lenten season. We remember from the Catechism that by virtue of our Baptism we are adopted children of God. In Jesus Christ, we truly do belong to God. And this relationship to God brings with it a whole set of expectations as to how we live, what kind of decisions we make and where our journey of life should be headed. Especially in the renewed Liturgy, we are reminded of the close connection between the Lenten journey and the sacrament of Baptism.
In addition, in this holy season there are many people in our Church involved in journeys of Christian initiation that will lead up to receiving sacraments of Baptism and/or Confirmation and/or Eucharist. Those in the RCIA programs will receive their sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Many young boys and girls will be receiving the Holy Eucharist for the first time at some point in the Easter season that follows Lent, and another large group of high school students on the brink of full adult maturity will be given the Sacrament of Confirmation at some time between now and the beginning of summer.
As for the rest of us, some have relatives or friends who are going to be taking these important steps in their lives of faith. Some of us will even be attending these liturgical celebrations with the ones being initiated. Even if we do not personally know any of these people this year, none of us should think that this annual preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation have nothing to do with us.
It seems to me that old question never goes away and is never more clear than during the season of Lent. Whose child am I? And how would anyone know? We owe it to our God, to ourselves and to those preparing for the Easter Sacraments to be able to give an account of our lives in God. |
