Thank you!

Two journeys come to mind for me from this last weekend. The first was taken by me and some good friends along the banks of the Carbon River. Amidst light rain and fog, we observed two pairs of mergansers as they let the swift current carry them downstream together. But the journey that really stands out is the one taken on Sunday by a young member of my extended family as she got swept up in the waters of baptism. It lasted about five minutes, but, in hindsight, it seems like a journey that millions of others could understand quite well. Like many stories of faith, it started out with rebellion and defiance. Just standing near the water made her uncomfortable, and when it came time to encounter God face to face in the water poured over her head- she turned away and cried out in distress. Using a shell, not unlike the one that pilgrims carry with them on the "camino" to Santiago de Compostela, I scooped out some water from the font and came to her. She cringed as it touched her hair and her forehead. Then she felt my hand trace the sign of the cross, and more tears flowed! Next came the candle, and something in her began to change. She saw the warm light and she reached out for it. Her baptismal sponsor showed her how they could hold it together, and she listened to words about God's love shining like this light in her life. And finally, it was time to wrap her in a beautiful quilt made by members of the congregation. She heard how this was a sign of the love that all of us had for her, and how she could remember that love every time she felt the warmth of the quilt around her. Now, there was almost a smile. I said: Listen, because all these people also have something to say to you." The message of welcome from the whole faith community came forth, in words that have been said millions of times before. But,in this case, something happened that I have never observed in twenty five years of pastoral ministry. When we finished our welcome, she responded with words of her own for us. In a tender, little voice she said: "Thank you." I will remember that for a long time, and I will think of it as a window into the faith journey of countless others who I meet along the way.