St. Ambrose and My Baptism. By: C.C.

"Lord, teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me when I seek you. For I cannot seek you unless you first teach me, nor find you unless you first reveal yourself to me. Let me seek you in longing and long for you in seeking. Let me find you in love, and love you in finding." (St. Ambrose)

    I recently came across a posting  by Josh Canning entitled Thank God for Baptism from the Canadian Catholic blog where Canning shared an account of his daughter's recent Baptism. Canning briefly explained the beauty and the importance of this Sacrament in our lives. It made me reflect upon the grace of Baptism in my own life. Today is the first day that I privately celebrated the anniversary of my Baptism which was 27 years ago. 

    As a "revert" to the Catholic faith I find myself being awakened to the immense beauty of Catholicism more and more. Over the course of time I have reflected upon the immense grace that God has given to me through being born into a Catholic family. Though my parent's faith life at the time of my Baptism was one of a seemingly cultural Catholicism and not practising, I remain forever and eternally grateful for their consent to the Baptismal promise. 

   I am currently preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage and part of this journey is the reason why I have become aware of when my Baptism was. Before marriage in the Church one must obtain a baptismal certificate from the parish where the Baptism took place. This led me to St. Roch's Roman Catholic Church to discover, for the first time in my life, that my Baptism took place on December 7th, 1986. I sat in the Church for a while that day when I picked up my certificate and it was very powerful for me. I am sure that the Church looks much different today than it did at the time of my Baptism, but there was still something so profound about returning to this Church years later. 

   I relived many experiences and reflected upon the moments of God's many graces in my life since the day that I entered into The Church. I had so much gratitude in my heart for God's immeasurable love and mercy. For His tenderness and compassion upon me in the years that I had lived away from Him. I was grateful for "Him revealing Himself to me when I sought Him, and for teaching me to seek Him." 

    When I returned home later that evening I decided to get on Google and search the Saint of The Day for December 7th. As I stared at the computer screen seeing the name St. Ambrose before me I was grinning uncontrollably. Throughout my early days of "reversion" to the faith I was very much influenced by the writings of St. Ambrose, which I had been led to after reading St. Augustine. These two Saints have inspired me very much and aided my deepening of faith.

   I found great comfort and power in St. Augustine's writings and about his conversion aided by encounters with St. Ambrose. In my heart I know that it is no mistake that I entered into the Church on the feast of one who would become for me an intercessor and aid throughout my conversion and along my spiritual journey many years later. (C.C.) Glory to the Father and to The Son and to The Holy Spirit......