This Is My Beloved Daughter

Today is the anniversary of my baptism, the day I was clothed with Christ, becoming a member of the universal family of God before witnesses at Saint Jerome Church in Brooklyn.

In today’s first reading (2 Samuel 6:12b-15, 17-19), David, newly appointed as King of Israel, is before the Ark of God. His heart is full of joy and devotion and he dances with abandon. He dances like no one else is watching. He empties every ounce of his love to God. God is David’s joy. I cried to read that today. Have you ever danced in the Spirit? Have you ever experienced that kind of joy? At my Confirmation I found the Spirit so discernibly present that I laughed and danced. One day, a priest prayed over me for the healing of a food allergy. The Spirit was so discernibly present following the prayer that I laughed and I skipped and I drove straight to a place that sold the thing I had been allergic to and bought it. Praise God, I have never had an allergic reaction since that day. About three months ago, I was prayed over for a re-release the gifts of the Spirit from my baptism and I laughed so much that I actually started to get self-conscious! The Lord has given me a great joy in discerning His presence. I have never been happier than with Him. I thank Him for that grace. He is my joy. The Spirit was poured into me as the water poured over my head at my baptism. The Father said, “This is my beloved daughter.” And Jesus danced with abandon. I am claimed for Him. I am His joy. I thank my parents. I thank my godparents. I thank whoever they were who preached Christ to my ancestors. The light of Christ I received at my baptism is from a chain of lights, the Gospel spread from one person to the next over more than 2,000 years. I am grateful. I am joyful. I dance today with abandon.

#Baptism #Samuel