05/25/2005: "Reflections on Sunday's readings: Andrew was baptized!"

My 2nd child and son was baptized on Sunday. What a joyous occasion!

What strikes me most about the baptism and the reception was my toast. I'm now 2 for 2 at getting choked up before I've even begun to speak thereby losing everything I intended to say and just letting my feelings at the moment dictate the toast.

The feeling that wells up inside me is an odd combination of pride of my wonderful son and humility in the small role I've played in making him wonderful. To quote from the movie Braveheart: "God makes men what they are." By God's will, Andrew is now a formal member of the Catholic Church. I feel blessed that God has brought my wife, Andrew and myself to this crossroad and am humbled that he is asking me of all people, a horendous sinner, to take the monumentally important task of raising Andrew in the faith.

May God give me the strength to do His will!