Almost-five-year-old Katie and her family recently witnessed the Baptism, Chrismation and Communion of the infant Nicholas.

At her request, they stood way up front where she could see the baby, instead of going up into the choir loft as usual. uring the service, Katie had some good questions! so she and her mom as"ed #ather$ %hy is #ather wearing white& %hy do the priest and deacon wear white vestments when they celebrate the 'ystery of Baptism& (he 'ystery of )oly Baptism is the sacrament of purification * being made new by the power of +esus Christ and the )oly ,pirit. (his purification occurs through the prayers that the priest reads and the immersion of the person who is being bapti-ed into the water, which has been made holy by .od. (he color that symboli-es purity /cleanliness and wholeness0 and the new life in +esus Christ is white. Because of this, the priest and deacon wear white when they celebrate this holy 'ystery. %hy is #ather sha"ing that nap"in over the c1mmunion& %hy does the priest wave the aer over the ,acred .ifts during the 2iturgy& (he aer is the cloth that the priest wears over his shoulders during the .reat 3ntrance as the )oly .ifts are ta"en from the table of preparation /prothesis0 to the altar table. (his cloth is used to cover the .ifts after the priest ta"es off the smaller covers /one for the discus or paten, and another for the chalice0. (he aer has a great deal of symbolism. %hen the .ifts are covered with the aer after the .reat 3ntrance, the aer symboli-es the stone that covered the opening of +esus Christ1s tomb. %hen the priest waves the aer during the symbol of faith /the creed0, it symboli-es the the earthqua"e that occurred when +esus rose from the dead /'atthew 4567-40. (he priest stops waving the aer at the point in the creed when he says, 8and on the third day )e rose according to the scriptures.9 (han"s to #r. 'ichael 'onos, voithou of Annunciation .ree" :rthodo; Church in A"ron, :), for answering Katie1s questions$ < 7===-4>>> by :rthodo; #amily 2ife and the original author/s0. ?@26 http6AAwww.theologic.comAoflweb. (his web site is donated and maintained by (heo2ogic ,ystems, which provides software and information tools for :rthodo; Christians and parishes world wide. ---------------------Buestions for this issue come from Ale;andra /age C 7A40 and +oshua /age 7>0!D:6EDA:6E %hat is the difference between luc" and a blessing&D:6EDA:6E %ebster1s dictionary defines luc" as the 8force that brings good or bad9. (he ancient .ree"s and @omans used to worship luc" in the form of the goddess #ortuna. )er name even became another word for luc", Ffortune1. A blessing is defined as 8to invo"e ivine Care9. (he source of blessings is .od )imself$D:6EDA:6E 2uc" is a pagan, non-Christian concept that views good or bad fortune * and success * as a tangible thing unto itself. Certain items, li"e rabbits1 feet, four-leaf clovers, and other 8good luc"9 charms9 are said to 8bring luc"9. Certain days, and even people, are considered 8luc"y9. ,ee"ing 8luc"9 is closely connected with superstition, which in turn connected to magic. According to this world view, humans are at the mercy of unseen powerful and uncertain forces that may help or hurt us.D:6EDA:6E A blessing is very different from the idea of luc". .od is 2ord of the world. A blessing as"s for )is ivine Erotection and help. %hereas luc" can be good or bad, a blessing is always good. .od1s care for us and the world is called ivine Erovidence. (his concern for us is grounded in love, and is personal and real. By e;tension the symbols of .od, such as the Cross, religious medals, or phylacta /little bags of earth from holy places0, are powerful when they are used not as 8luc"y charms9, but as signs that we believe in .od1s power and protection. (hey are not sources of power themselves but only point bac" to .od. (hose who do not "now .od are trapped in a world that is full of fears and evil forces that they try to manipulate with magic and superstition. Christians can loo" on life and not be afraid, for Christ has destroyed the power of evil. Gf we trust in )im and follow )is ways, nothing can really harm us. Christians reHect the very e;istence of the idea of 8luc"9. Attracting 8luc"9 with a charm, a special day according to the -odiac, or other such things, is nonsense$ D:6EDA:6E %hy do we say, 8.od bless you9&D:6EDA:6E Gf someone snee-es or does something very good, we often hear someone say, 8.od bless you$9 (his is a phrase that as"s the 2ord to protect you, "eep you in good health, ma"e you holy, and fill your life with good and happiness. Gt is the very best thing we can want for someone.D:6EDA:6E Centuries ago the causes of diseases were not well "nown, but people "new that snee-ing often came before illnesses that could be life threatening. ,o, the immediate response was, 8.od bless you$9 /meaning, 8.od protect you from sic"ness and death$90. And even as we become better at treating disease, isn1t it still the best thing to as" .od to "eep us well& ,o we say, 8.od bless you$9 to this very day.D:6EDA:6E Gf someone does something nice for us, we as" .od to reward him or her. %e say to them, 8.od bless you$9 /meaning, 8.od reward you with )is blessing in return for the good you have done$90. %henever we use the phrase 8.od bless you$9 we are actually saying a very short prayer. (he 3nglish language used to be full of all sorts of prayers and blessings. :nly

a few have survived in our modern, post-Christian society * 8.od help you$9 or 8.od help us$9, 8Elease .od$9, 8.od forbid$9, and 8.od speed$9 (he last phrase is used to as" .od to watch over someone who is traveling.D:6EDA:6E (o quote (iny (im from Charles ic"ens1 A Christmas Carol, 8.od bless us, everyone$9 (han"s to I.@ev.#r. Nicholas )ughes, proistamenos of ,,. Constantine J )elen .ree" :rthodo; Church in 'ansfield, :), for filling #ather1s cassoc" for this issue$D:6EDA:6E < 7===-4>>> by :rthodo; #amily 2ife and the original author/s0. ?@26 http6AAwww.theologic.comAoflweb. (his web site is donated and maintained by (heo2ogic ,ystems, which provides software and information tools for :rthodo; Christians and parishes world wide. --------------------------------