"Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent Gift...We call it gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, an most precious gift. It is call gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship." (St. Gregory of Nazianzus)

Pope Francis said: "Baptism is the best gift we have received. Through it, we belong to God and we possess the joy of salvation." It is one of those gifts that keeps giving. For the sacramental graces, which we receive at the moment of baptism, are still  in effect right now, years later, if we are in union with God. How do we activate this grace? "We are called to live our baptism every day, as new creatures, clothed in Christ." (Pope Francis) Do we? Each time that we choose to do something for another in love we are activating the grace of baptism. Each time we do the will of God in the present moment, we are allowing the grace of baptism to enrich us. Each time we reject sin and live in union with God, we are tapping into the grace of baptism.