This morning, my bride awoke with a stuffed head and a fever (so much for temperature charting). So, Caroline and I got ready to go to church without her. We got a seat on the back row, center aisle (remember, I used to be a Baptist). This is the first time Caroline and I have been to Mass without mommy Erin. Baby Caroline was absolutely on her best behavior the whole time. Father Jim had 4 to baptize this morning, and they were a loud group – so loud he actually paused during his homily to give them a chance to calm down. I held Caroline where she could see right down the aisle and watch the babies being baptized. As they cried out for having their heads wetted by the holy water, Caroline announced to me that they were babies (”ba-bee”) and I told her it was only a little more than a year ago she was baptized too.

The experience of holding my daughter on my lap through mass today, combined with watching more beautiful babies become parts of the Communion of Saints, and having Caroline watch so intently as Father Jim held up the Body and Blood of Christ, I was overwhelmed like I was the night I was received into Communion with the Church. I sat there (hard to kneel with a baby in tow) and this whole concept of the Communion of Saints and the real presence was really “real” to me in a way that happens less than I wish it would. As we stood to process, the organist hit the first couple of chords of “Be Not Afraid.” Well, I love the song, and found myself having a hard time making it through that line, “you shall see the face of God and live.” Here you have a perfect meeting of what you can actually perceive of God while you’re still on Earth. My beautiful daughter in my arms, newly received babies into the life of the Church, and the real presence of Christ there in the Eucharist. This is as close to seeing the face of God as you can get on Earth…”you shall see the face of God and live.” Thank you, Holy Spirit, for making yourself so evident today.