Earlier in Lent, I was asked if we usually kept blessed water in the baptismal font during the season. It’s not a surprising question. In the past, some people would suggest that parishes remove holy water from the church during Lent, even replacing it with sand or ashes.
This idea can be motivated by a desire to send a message about repentance and penance, and that it’s not Easter yet, which is true. Yet that doesn’t mean that Lent has nothing to do with baptism. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
As we are experiencing right now through the celebration of the scrutinies of our elect, Lent is for them the final period of intense preparation for their Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion at the Easter Vigil. As Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness discerning his mission, so the elect deepen their commitment to life in Christ.
For the rest of us, their example, and the liturgies of Lent, challenge us to renew and strengthen our commitment to our baptism. We repent because we are baptised. We don’t pretend for a while that we’re not baptised, but rather make a point of reminding ourselves that we are, with all that demands of us.
The next time you come into the church, be sure to stop at the baptismal font. Every entrance to the church leads to it. Let it remind you that it is through Baptism that you belong to Christ, his Church, and his mission.
Published in our parish bulletin, Carmel, 22 March 2026
Image: Baptistery in our church
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