“You Catholics think you’re all special.” Well. Actually.

After all, we have received the gift of Baptism. There are lots of people in the world, but the will of God brought us to the font. That’s amazing, when you think of it. It didn’t have to be given to us, but it was. That is pretty special.

Christian Lopez is the guy who caught Derek Jeter’s 3,000th hit, which happened to be a home run. The stadium was full of people, but chance brought the ball to Christian. If we were to ask him how it felt, we shouldn’t be surprised to hear him say, “Special.”

What’s even more amazing to me, though, is what he did with the ball after catching it. He could have sold it to get rich, used it to get famous, or bragged about it to make others jealous, but, instead, he gave it back to Derek Jeter.

Christian was so grateful to God for Jeter’s own love for the game, that the opportunity to meet and thank the Yankee All-Star was worth more to him than whatever personal gain he may have usurped from his own good fortune.

It reminds me of the calling that you and I share, as Christians. If being baptized is like catching a home run - since there are so many people in the stands of life - the question is, what will we do now with our Baptism?

If it is true that the gold of Christ’s authority is at work in us because of our Baptism, as well as the frankincense of His divinity, and the myrrh of His self-emptying love, what is the most fitting response to the One who has willed that we should receive such a gift?

It seems to me that it is to offer our lives back to God. Each of us, in our own way, can allow the authority of Christ to embolden our arguments, make the prayer of Christ our own, and unite our sufferings with His for the salvation of the whole world.

While some inevitably go forth from the font for personal gain, selling their Christianity to get rich, using it to get famous, or bragging about it to make others jealous, I would hope that we would be more like Christian Lopez, preferring thanksgiving.

All people are loved by the Father; we know that. The gift of faith, illuminating our intellect, enables us to see that with Christ. We caught the home run. Now, let us give our lives to the Father to thank Him. It is right and just. +