December 29, 2011 – Catechism 1217 – 1225

I just started a book by Charles Chaput called “Living the Catholic Faith”. His first chapter talks a lot about baptism. He tells the story of a brother and sister surviving Niagara Falls. His focus is on the sister who was rescued before going over. He equates this to baptism. We are in the water and heading towards the fall. There is absolutely nothing we can do to prevent it. Out of nowhere and only because He chooses to, Christ jumps into the river and saves us from the fall. This is what happens in Baptism, we are cleansed of the stain of original sin (from going over the falls) and given a new life in Christ. Just as the sister was given a new life that was unexpected (after falling in, you could not expect to survive) and unearned, we are given a new life based solely on God giving it to us. So far it is a very good book and I would encourage you to pick it up (after I am finished of course).