Penguin Island | Page 9

is the image of the heavenly day that rises in your souls. For I
bring you the inner light; I bring you the light and heat of the soul. Just
as the sun melts the ice of your mountains so Jesus Christ will melt the
ice of your hearts."
Thus the old man spoke. As everywhere throughout nature voice calls
to voice, as all which breathes in the light of day loves alternate strains,
these penguins answered the old man by the sounds of their throats.
And their voices were soft, for it was the season of their loves.
The holy man, persuaded that they belonged to some idolatrous people
and that in their own language they gave adherence to the Christian
faith, invited them to receive baptism.
"I think," said he to them, "that you bathe often, for all the hollows of
the rocks are full of pure water, and as I came to your assembly I saw
several of you plunging into these natural baths. Now purity of body is
the image of spiritual purity."
And he taught them the origin, the nature, and the effects of baptism.
"Baptism," said he to them, "is Adoption, New Birth, Regeneration,
Illumination."
And he explained each of these points to them in succession.

Then, having previously blessed the water that fell from the cascades
and recited the exorcisms, he baptized those whom he had just taught,
pouring on each of their heads a drop of pure water and pronouncing
the sacred words.
And thus for three days and three nights he baptized the birds.

VI. AN ASSEMBLY IN PARADISE
When the baptism of the penguins was known in Paradise, it caused
neither joy nor sorrow, but an extreme surprise. The Lord himself was
embarrassed. He gathered an assembly of clerics and doctors, and
asked them whether they regarded the baptism as valid.
"It is void," said St. Patrick.
"Why is it void?" asked St. Gal, who had evangelized the people of
Cornwall and had trained the holy Mael for his apostolical labours.
"The sacrament of baptism," answered St. Patrick, "is void when it is
given to birds, just as the sacrament of marriage is void when it is given
to a eunuch."
But St. Gal replied:
"What relation do you claim to establish between the baptism of a bird
and the marriage of a eunuch? There is none at all. Marriage is, if I may
say so, a conditional, a contingent sacrament. The priest blesses an
event beforehand; it is evident that if the act is not consummated the
benediction remains without effect. That is obvious. I have known on
earth, in the town of Antrim, a rich man named Sadoc, who, living in
concubinage with a woman, caused her to be the mother of nine
children. In his old age, yielding to my reproofs, he consented to marry
her, and I blessed their union. Unfortunately Sadoc's great age
prevented him from consummating the marriage. A short time
afterwards he lost all his property, and Germaine (that was the name of
the woman), not feeling herself able to endure poverty, asked for the

annulment of a marriage which was no reality. The Pope granted her
request, for it was just. So much for marriage. But baptism is conferred
without restrictions or reserves of any kind. There is no doubt about it,
what the penguins have received is a sacrament."
Called to give his opinion, Pope St. Damascus expressed himself in
these terms:
"In order to know if a baptism is valid and will produce its result, that is
to say, sanctification, it is necessary to consider who gives it and not
who receives it. In truth, the sanctifying virtue of this sacrament results
from the exterior act by which it is conferred, without the baptized
person cooperating in his own sanctification by any personal act; if it
were otherwise it would not be administered to the newly born. And
there is no need, in order to baptize, to fulfil any special condition; it is
not necessary to be in a state of grace; it is sufficient to have the
intention of doing what the Church does, to pronounce the consecrated
words and to observe the prescribed forms. Now we cannot doubt that
the venerable Mael has observed these conditions. Therefore the
penguins are baptized."
"Do you think so?" asked St. Guenole. "And what then do you believe
that baptism really is? Baptism is the process of regeneration by which
man is born of water and of the spirit, for having entered the water
covered with crimes, he goes out of it a neophyte, a new creature,
abounding in the fruits of righteousness; baptism is the seed of
immortality; baptism is the pledge of the resurrection; baptism is the
burying with Christ in