Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."
Ponce De Leon trooped around the New World looking for the legendary Fountain of Youth. If he'd been as good a Catholic as he was a soldier and explorer, he'd have known that the Fountain of Youth was right there in his local parish back in Spain. The power unleashed in any baptism "dispels all evil, washes guilt away,/restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;/it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride." To be younger than sin: that's what we want and that's what baptism give us!
Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.
