FR. BEL SAN LUIS, SVD There was once a woman who brought her child to church for baptism. “What’s the baby’s name?” asked the parish priest. “Toyota,” said the mother. Taken aback, the priest said, “Why that name?” “ Kasi po Father,” she replied, “ iyong panganay ko ay nagngangalang ‘Ford,’ yong ikalawa naman ay ‘Mercedes’ at yong pinakamaliit ay ‘Beetle.'” “ ,” Bueno, ano ang gusto mong ibibinyag ko sa kanya: diesel o gasolina?”
* * * That funny story might well focus our attention on the feast of Christ’s Baptism today and the secularized and unchristian way parents name their children nowadays. For instance, some name their children “Apple Pie,” “Peach”; a Marcos loyalist named his child “Martial Law,” a more recent one, a child was named “COVID”! The Church’s tradition is to name the child in baptism to a saint whose feast falls on the date in the calendar. This is to remind the child the saint’s virtues to emulate and be his or her special guardian.