Priest, prophet and king

I started taking my RCIA classes to become a Catholic when I was 10 weeks pregnant with Luke, and throughout my conversion process, all of my class members watching eagerly as my belly grew and grew and grew, and then one Sunday I showed up with my newborn baby boy to introduce to them. I had a lot of divine guidance and personal revelations during my pregnancy, and I do believe that my spiritual journey not only strengthened my faith, but made me a better person in general.

So for Luke to get baptized was a pretty important thing for me, as I feel like he has been my closest partner during my conversion. On Easter Vigil, right after I celebrated the Eucharist for the first time, I turned to my left and watched as Father Ed blessed Luke in Chris's arms behind me. And as our priest made the sign of the cross on Luke's forehead, my two-week old son smiled. A for-real smile, not just gas. And it made my special night that much more awesome. And I knew that his baptism would be a great event.

And it was especially momentous because both his godparents were able to be there with us. My brother, Will, is Luke's godfather, and Chris's cousin, Angel, is his godmother. Both of these people are so very important to Chris and I, and I know they are going to be great influences to my son as he grows up.

And while Luke’s baptism was a special event for our family, the actual Mass last Sunday was a big deal for our entire Saint Eugene’s Parish, as we were welcoming a new priest to our church. Father Pat is in his early 30s and comes to us from Charlotte, and Chris and I were thrilled to introduce our family to him with such an important celebration.

Luke played it cool the entire service, barely flinching when Father Pat poured the water over his noggin, baptizing him in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Which was awesome for us, but a bit boring for the rest of the congregation, who probably were hoping for a little more excitement – read, hysterical screaming – like they got when Miss Taylor was baptized.

It was a wonderful event, and I was so happy to have so many of our family and extended family members there to share in it with us. I know I have said this many times, but I am very grateful for all of my blessings. Especially for my loving husband and our healthy, happy children. I thank God for these gifts everyday.