The Incredible Power Of A Pronoun

“A priest resigned this month after his diocese announced that thousands of baptisms he had performed were invalid because he had changed a single word. He said, "We baptize you... ," instead of "I baptize you..." ...In a letter to his parish, Arango wrote: "It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula. I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere." ...He said he resigned, effective Feb. 1, so he could "dedicate my energy and full time ministry to help remedy this and heal those affected." ...Those who believe they or their children were baptized by Arango can fill out a form online to be properly baptized. Subsequent sacraments, including marriage, may need to be repeated by those who had invalid baptisms performed by Arango, according to the Diocese of Phoenix.”*

            My purpose in sharing segments from the news article referenced above is not to mock any particular religious group.  The Lord knows that my own religious heritage has plenty of its own foibles.  I just use it as one example of how humans have a tendency to “...strain out a gnat and swallow a camel” as Jesus said on one occasion. Sometimes we have trouble getting out of our own way.  May I suggest some things to think about?

            First, baptism is a work of God in which we have the privilege of participation (1 Corinthians 12:13)  The power isn’t in what we do or don’t do.  Second, if the “baptismal formula” shared by the Lord in Matthew 28:19 (“baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”) is the inviolable standard, then Peter himself messed it up on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38).  Third, if the words used when baptizing were so important, why is no mention of them made in all the examples of baptism in the book of Acts?

            Just food for thought…

 

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baptisms-performed-phoenix-priest-invalid-changed-one-word-rcna16268