Our heavenly Father repeatedly commands us to come. He commands: "All you who are thirsty, come to the water!" (Is 55:1) He commands the poor to "come, receive grain and eat" (Is 55:1) and to come, "drink wine and milk" (Is 55:1). Next, our Father commands us to come specifically to Him. He says: "Come to Me heedfully, listen, that you may have life" (Is 55:3). If we come to Him, He will renew with us the everlasting covenant (Is 55:3). Jesus Himself tells us: "Come to Me" (Mt 11:28).

We obey our Father's commands to come when we come to repentance and conversion, worship and evangelization, Confession and Mass, and discipleship and holiness. Baptism is the major way we "come to the water."

On this Sunday, as we recall our baptism into Christ's death and resurrection (see Rm 6:3ff), let us come to the water and renew our baptismal promises:

• Do you reject Satan?
• Do you reject all his works?
• Do you reject all his empty promises?
• Do you believe in God the Father?
• Do you believe in God the Son, incarnate, crucified, and risen?
• Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

Come to our Father through the Son and in the Spirit! Come!

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, February 7, 2002

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 12, 2002