Actor turned cultural commentator Russell Brand announced he’s been baptized.
Russel Brand via Russell Brand on Rumble
In a post to X, Brand wrote, “I got I got baptised!!!!”
I got baptised!!!!
And… pic.twitter.com/c1JamCk49x
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) April 29, 2024
In the accompanying video he shared, “Yesterday, I got baptized and it was an incredible, profound experience. And many of you will have had your own experiences of Baptism, and will therefore know what I’m talking about. Many aspects of it were very intimate and personal.”
He continued, “The truth is this, as a person who has in the past taken many, many substances and always been disappointed with their inability to deliver the kind of tranquility, and peace, and even transcendence that I’ve always felt I’ve been looking for, something occurred in the process of Baptism that was incredible, overwhelming. Literally overwhelming because I was, obviously, underwater, and it was the River Thames at some points. So I felt changed, transitioned.”
Russell Brand – Regents Park Open Air Theatre – Monday 14th September 2020 EARLY SHOW. Photo Credit: Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Brand then noted, “Now, of course, even though it’s been less than 24 hours, in the interim period I’ve already felt like, sort of irritation. I’ve got three children. I’ve got a job. I’ve got challenges. I still live in the world. But I feel as if some new resource has switched on.”
“So many of your comments have been so beautiful and encouraging,” Brand went on. “And I really appreciate it. And also even the cynicism, I understand. Because some people will just see me as a celebrity, but I don’t see me as a celebrity because I was me when I was a little boy, I was me when I was a junkie, I was me when I was poor, I’ve been me in all the different phases. But I recognize any thing in this terrain, in the sort of social media world, could be exploited and utilized.”
The Baptism of Christ. Photo Credit: Andrea del Verrocchio, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Next, Brand declared, “For me, I’ve made the decision and I know what the decision is. I’ve made it for myself and I pray that it will be relevant to my family in particular my children, my wife’s Catholic, you know, she’s already made her own choices in this life including this one.”
“This is new for me. I’m learning,” Brand added. “And I will make mistakes, but this is my path now. And I already feel incredibly blessed, relieved, nourished, held. It’s been an incredible experience. I wish I could tell you exactly about it because there was amazing individuals involved. There were incredible and bizarre incidents that took place that felt serendipitous and laden.”
Russell Brand via Russell Brand on X
You know I do a show every day, I’ll be talking about this stuff in the show because it’s part of my mission, and it’s part of my ministry, and it’s part of my service,” Brand said. “This is new to me and it’s a joy to me. And I know that I’m not expected to be perfect. … Those that have embraced me I’m so grateful. I can’t tell you how happy I feel and how relieved I feel. But as you know if you know, my resources are coming from somewhere else and someone else now.”
“Thank you so much for your support. Let’s keep doing this together, or certainly I’m just going to do what I’m doing. I love you so much. I’m so grateful to be surrendered in Christ. See you all soon,” Brand concluded.
Baptism of Christ. Photo Credit: Annibale Carracci, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
This is phenomenal news. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: ‘Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word.'”
Gregory of Nazianzus or Gregory the Theologian also shared, “Baptism is God’s most beautiful and magnificent gift…We call if gift, grace, anointing, enlightenment, garment of immortality, bath of rebirth, seal, and most precious gift. It is called gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own; grace since it is given even to the guilty; Baptism because sin is buried in the water; anointing for it is priestly and royal as are those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God’s Lordship.”
Gregory the Theologian as depicted on a fresco from Kariye Camii, Istanbul.
What do you make of Russell Brand getting baptized?
