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The feast of the Trinity is not a bad day to reflect on our Baptisms. In four minutes, let me share three misconceptions about Baptism.

Misconception #1 is that Baptism is for and about babies. That's a fairly common opinion since many of us were baptized as babies, most of us have gone to babies' baptism and all of us remember the famous shoot-out in the movie "The Godfather," which takes place during a baby's baptism. Despite the large number of infants baptized into the Christian family, Baptism is really about adults and an adult process which demands study, faith, discernment and a mature decision. Adult baptism, and the journey that proceeds it, is the norm and the standard in the Catholic community. Only by exception do we baptize infants and only on the presumption that the family is seriously Christian and the child will be led through the steps of study, faith, discernment, and mature decision as she/he grows up in that committed family.

Misconception #2 is that baptism is about getting rid of Original Sin. There is some truth to that but the misconception is that we've got it exactly backwards. The primary purpose of Baptism is not to scrub us clean of some sin (original or not) but entry into the community of believers and witnesses to the message, person and life of Jesus Christ. It is not the sacrament of removal, but the sacrament of belonging. One great side effect of moving into a community that takes responsibility for passing on the wisdom and life-giving presence of Jesus is that it uproots and protects us from that fallen and fragile condition theologians call Original Sin and gives us greater freedom from a world of darkness and the bonds of sin.

Misconception #3 is that Baptism gives us no more than an entry level position, a bottom rung location, a private first class rank in the Church, the Body of Christ. The real members, the really important promotion, the big positions come with religious orders, ordination and ecclesiastical honors, you know, nuns and priests, monsignors and bishops, cardinals and popes! The Catholic Christian conviction about Baptism is just the opposite! When we are baptized into the church and Body of Christ there can be no greater dignity and responsibility. Every baptized Christian is already called and promoted to be an active, co-responsible member of the Church with a unique, distinctive contribution to make. It is that rather recent rediscovery of the dignity of Baptism that has led to religious returning to their baptismal names, rather than using the less important name taken when they became nuns, brothers or priests and to the growing custom of young people remaining with their baptismal name when they are confirmed. It has led to the active participation of laity in the ministries of worship and of finance, planning and decision-making committees for parishes and diocese. It has even led to standing tall rather than kneeling for communion and reaching out with baptized hands to recxeive the host rather than being fed as inferior children. One prominent theologian and scholar of Church history has said that, while the Church today features dozens of schools of spirituality, the New Testament and early Church knew of one approach and one only. Simply put, it was "Christian, remember who you are; Christian, remember your Baptism."