Thanks for all the well wishes--and from those off-line as well!
It is done. I had my baptism, confirmation, and first communion at Saturday night's Easter Vigil. It was a wonderful Mass, but it wasn't at Baptism that it all hit me--it was after we changed out of wet clothes into my suit and was draped with a white robe to march down the aisle that I felt total purity in every fiber of my body. I'm still at a high level of peace.
After literally negotiating with W through a nun on how our kids would attend, W attneded herself with the kids, but someone remarked later that she seemed angry. That was true--and sad. In fact, I had two Catholic families that were very close to us travel several hours to surprise me with their presence. Although W was also very close to both families--and I mean among our closest friends--she barely said a word to them and stayed upstairs in the main church waiting for our kids while a post mass reception was held in the Church basement. The ongoing disunity beyond our own M is really something sad to behold--but it's out of my hands.
I do confess that the feeling only 1/2 hour after baptism is quite different than the feeling before. My love for Christ is deeper than I could ever imagine--and as the prayer goes, I hope that I may be worthy of His promises. Peace to all.
