As we remember the Baptism of the Lord this weekend, we might do well to stop and remember our own baptisms. Most of us were baptized as babies, with parents and godparents bringing us to the Church. They wanted to be sure that we would be followers of Christ. We might want to offer a word of thanks or a prayer of thanks for those who led us to Jesus.
The start of a new year is a time to look back and remember. The biggest story in the life of a parish is the coming and going of God’s children. We celebrated 88 baptisms at St. Charles in 2024, welcoming new Children of God into the Church. We gathered for 71 funerals, praying that our loved ones will return safely into the arms of the Lord.
I was given a copy of very sad article this week. I can’t verify the data, derived from an organization called Worldometer, but the numbers are staggering. The article states that worldwide, in the year 2024, there were 45.1 million babies lost by abortion. Abortion is far and away the leading cause of human death in the world, followed by cancer with 8.2 million. While I don’t know the integrity of these numbers, we are clearly living in a very troubled world. Let us pray for the day when all of us will see that an unborn baby is indeed a baby, in need of love and protection. Let us also be on the frontlines, trying to help those women who have a pregnancy in difficult circumstances.
The March for Life in Fort Wayne will take place on Saturday, Jan. 18. Unlike years past, the march will begin this year at the Tincaps Stadium at 12:30. Because we will be outdoors, the speakers will be brief. A quiet walk through the streets will follow. Everyone is invited. We can at least be quiet witnesses of the beauty of unborn babies.
