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In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins is tasked with destroying the One Ring by throwing it into the fires of Mount Doom. The problem with this mission is that the Ring slowly corrupts whoever possesses it, and over time the person becomes less willing to destroy it.
Fortunately Frodo is accompanied by his friend Samwise Gamgee. Sam is with Frodo all the way. He looks after Frodo in his darkest moments. He pushes Frodo onwards even when Frodo is ready to abandon the mission. He is a guide and companion to help Frodo on the way.
In the Epistle of James today, we hear these words: “if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”
What the Epistle speaks of is exactly what Sam did for Frodo, and it is what we here hope to do today and always.
Today, we bring two young ones into the fold of the Body of Christ through Baptism. Now Baptism is a mark of turning away from our old life to our new life in Christ Jesus. Yet these two are too young to have a life before. Their lives, both in Christ and in the world, are just beginning now.
There will be struggles and successes, highs and lows for them. There will be temptations, just like with Frodo, that they’ve never faced before.
It is up to us to be Samwise Gamgees for these two. When they face troubles, it will be our duty to help guide them back. It will be up to us to make sure they never have a time where they don’t know Christ Jesus and feel God’s presence in their lives.
If we can do that, not only will we be fulfilling what we hear in the Epistles of James today, by helping all souls, even those that wander, back to God, but we will also be living up to the oaths we will be making in a few moments. The parents and godparents will be the ones to take on the threefold rejection of sin, evil, and the world and take on the threefold acceptance of Christ Jesus for the soon-to-be Baptized, but all of us will vow to uphold these young ones in their life of Faith. That is an oath we need to take very seriously.
We all need someone to help us on the journey in this life to keep us all in the arms of Jesus Christ, just like Sam did with Frodo. We are all called to be that person for these young ones, both now and always.