After Easter
On this Mother’s Day I am grateful for my mother, my grandmothers, and all of my maternal ancestors, whose origins I will soon discover. I recently received the gift of a DNA testing kit. These kits, produced by 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and others are designed to help people trace their roots, connect with unknown relatives, and even indicate genetic medical trends from the swab of a person’s saliva. These products, along with the popularity of programs such as the PBS Television series, Tracing Your Roots, tell us that we are eager to determine our family tree.
The Easter season calls us to remember our spiritual ancestry. Whenever we are sprinkled with holy water, a sign of our baptism, we are reminded that we are all the beloved children of God, and that the community that surrounds us is a part of our spiritual family tree.
Those who were initiated at the Easter Vigil have spent these weeks of Easter reflecting on what it means to be a child of God and on how the rituals, symbols, and the entire experience of Holy Week transformed them. Here are some of their comments:
What were the peak moments for you?
The lighting of the fire helped usher in a new beginning for me
Taking communion … I felt whole with the family and with Christ.
The “I do’s” felt like I was getting married!
[One candidate to another after he was confirmed] “Christ looks good on you!”
How did God speak to you? What did God say?
“You’re home, this is your family.”
[Through the Litany of the Saints] “The saints are always there to pray for you.”
[Through the cello at the 7 Last Words] “I am here.”
Who was the God you experienced the night of the Easter Vigil? What did God say to you?
It felt like a homecoming.
God was smiling from ear to ear, wrapping his arms around us.
It felt as if a hand was being extended, as if to say, “Follow me, I’ll walk with you through this.”
What does baptism mean to you now?
Baptism washed away everything from before, which allowed the oil to seal the good of my new life within.
This is one night [The Easter Vigil] when water and oil do mix!
How would you sum up your journey of conversion?
From confusion to clarity.
From darkness to light.
From being angry to forgiving everybody.
From feeling empty to feeling whole.
From being disconnected to being connected, being part of the community.
From being lost to being found.