This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, which brings to a close the Christmas season, and is another Epiphany or manifestation of the Lord in the Gospels. John the Baptist raised both the religious and the political hopes of a people enslaved—and yet said that he was not the “one to come”—denying himself as the Messiah. What was the reaction of the people to his statement? Certainly, surprise.

In today’s modern culture the title godparent has become an “honorarium”—recognizing someone special in our lives: a favorite aunt, a best bud from college, or an employer or colleague. But the Church’s definition has not changed, nor has the true, Christ-given role and expectations. First there are criteria for someone to be a godparent, and they are (Canon 874):