Embracing Our Call To Consecration & Mission

That was the topic of the first session of the MSC Formation program.
Basically it was for us to remember our baptism, and what it means to us, in the light of what Jesus experienced in His own baptism.

As Fr Ho pointed out, I think it was really a matter of God's timing that we had the session on the 28th Jan. That our formation session should start on the day where the gospel was the parable of the mustard seed. Mk 4:26-34 the same passage that is on our t-shirts. And just amazing how when the formation was supposed to on the 14th Jan, it got pushed back because of the tsunami memorial mass and our chalet.

And I guess for myself, it brought a connection to baptism that I never saw before. As Fr Ho started talking about the mustard seed, I recalled what edmund told me when he first found out that we changed name to Mustard Seed Community. He discovered something about seeds which only gardeners (i don't mean those staying in serangoon gardens) will know. He said, unless a seed is dry when planted it will not grow. He said the moisture will make it rot. But if the seed is dry, then when it is planted, and watered, it will start to grow.

So at the session, it dawned on me, how baptism, and Jesus' saying

'unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.' (Jn 12:24)

was so connected. The seed is dry and dead, and it springs to life and starts growing when it receives water. So we alike, when we receive the waters of baptism, it jumpstarts our growth process in the Spirit. Perhaps John should have said "but if it dies and receives the water of life,". But I guess the people of that time were gardeners and that was understood. Unlike us "gardeners" who dun know that green beans grow into plants.

Even in the CCC, #1253 "Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop" and #1254 "faith must grow after Baptism". And that is the call of baptism. It is a beginning, it is the start of growth, which has to lead to bearing fruit, as Jesus uses so many parables to illustrate. The vine and the branches, the parable of the sower, Jn 12:24.

The challenge for me of embracing my call to baptism is one of growth and bearing fruit. One which is about constantly developing my faith, and the other about my mission to bring Christ into the lives of others.

And ending of with the word's of Fr Ho at the talk.

"There's no baptism without mission"