Someone on death row is referred to as a “dead man walking.” The person sentenced to die is as good as dead. He or she may be walking around, but his life has virtually ended.

All Christians, though, can be called dead people walking - in a different way. In baptism, we die to sin, but we continue to walk in the new life of Christ. Christians may be dead, but our life has virtually begun.

Some Christians are baptized as infants. Some are baptized as adults. When adults are baptized, they are asked to renounce their former way of life, to turn away from anything that keeps them from allegiance to Christ. When infants are baptized, parents and godparents renew their commitment to Christ, and they pledge to share it with the child. Baptism makes all the difference in the world. It totally redirects our lives toward Christ, whether we are changing courses as adults, or commit ourselves to Christ from the start as infants.

Saint Paul says to the Romans, “You too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.” Christians are dead, yet walking.

Throughout our lives we recommit ourselves to our baptismal promises. We do it weekly at church when we recite the creed. We do it any time we attend a baptism. We also do it each year at the Easter Vigil. We turn away from sin and turn toward Christ, who shows us how to walk in newness of life.

Written by Paul Turner. Liturgy Training Publications
Copyright 2004, Archdiocese of Chicago