reflection essay about baptism

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Reflection on Baptism

Pope Francis

.... [In] the General Audience in Saint Peter's Square on Wednesday, 25 April [2018].... [the Pope] continued his reflections on the Sacrament of Baptism .... The following is a translation of the Holy Father's catechesis, which he delivered in Italian.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning!

Let us continue our reflection on Baptism, always in the light of the Word of God.

The Gospel enlightens the candidates and elicits the response of faith: “Indeed Baptism is ‘the sacrament of faith’ in a particular way, since it is the sacramental entry into the life of faith” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , n. 1236). And faith is the delivery of oneself to the Lord Jesus, recognized as “a spring of water ... to eternal life” (Jn 4:14), “the light of the world” (Jn 9:5), “the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25), as taught by the path that catechumens approaching Christian initiation still take today. Instructed by listening to Jesus, his teachings and his work, the catechumens relive the experience of the Samaritan woman who thirsts for living water, the man born blind who opens his eyes to the light, Lazarus who walks out from the tomb. The Gospel has within it the power to transform those who accept it with faith, tearing them away from the control of the evil one so that they may learn to serve the Lord with joy and newness of life.

One never goes alone to the Baptismal font, but is accompanied by the prayers of the entire Church, as recalled in the litanies of the Saints which precede the Prayer of Exorcism and the Anointing Before Baptism, with which the catechumens are anointed with oil. These are gestures which, from antiquity, assure those who are preparing to be reborn as children of God that the prayers of the Church assist them in the battle against evil, accompany them on the path of good, help them elude the power of sin in order to enter into the kingdom of divine grace. The prayers of the Church. The Church prays, and prays for everyone, for all of us! We, the Church, pray for others. It is a beautiful thing to pray for others. Often, we have no urgent need and we do not pray. United to the Church, we must pray for others: “Lord I ask of you on behalf of those who are in need, on behalf of those who have no faith...”. Do not forget: the Church’s prayers are always in action. But we must enter into this prayer and pray for all the People of God and for those who need prayers. For this reason, the path of adult catechumens is marked by repeated exorcisms pronounced by the priest (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church , n. 1237), that is, prayers which invoke liberation from sin and from everything which separates us from Christ and prevents intimate union with him. For children too, we ask God to free them from original sin and to consecrate their dwelling in the Holy Spirit (cf. Rite of Baptism for Children , n. 49). Children. Praying for children, for spiritual and corporeal health. It is a means of protecting children with prayer. As the Gospels attest, Jesus himself fought and cast out the demons to manifest the advent of the Kingdom of God (cf. Mt 12:28): his victory over the power of the evil one leaves room for the Lordship of God who brings joy and reconciles with life.

Baptism is not a magical formula but a gift of the Holy Spirit who enables those who receive him to ‘ fight against the spirit of evil’, believing that God has sent his son into the world to destroy the power of Satan and to transfer mankind from darkness into the Kingdom of infinite light (cf. Rite of Baptism for Children , n. 49). We know from experience that Christian life is always subject to temptation, especially to the temptation to separate oneself from God, from his will, from communion with him, to fall again into the snares of worldly seductions. And Baptism prepares us. It gives us strength for this daily struggle, even for the battle against the devil who, as Saint Peter says, tries to devour us, to destroy us like a lion.

In addition to prayer, there is also the anointing of the breast of catechumens with oil: “it strengthens the candidates with the power to renounce the devil and sin before they go to the font of life for rebirth” ( Blessing of Oils and Chrism , Introduction n. 2). Due to the ability of oil to penetrate and benefit bodily tissues, combatants in ancient times would spread oil over their bodies to tone their muscles and to escape more easily from the grip of their adversary. In light of this symbolism, Christians in the early centuries adopted the use of anointing the bodies of Baptismal candidates with oil blessed by the Bishop1 to show through this “sign of salvation” that the power of Christ the Saviour strengthens us to fight against evil and defeat it” ( Rite of Baptism for Children , n. 87).

It is tiring to fight against evil, to escape its deceit, to regain strength after an exhausting battle, but we must know that all of Christian life is a battle. We must also know, however, that we are not alone, that Mother Church prays so that her children, reborn in Baptism, do not succumb to the snares of the evil one but overcome them through the power of the Paschal Christ. Fortified by the Risen Christ who defeated the prince of this world (cf. Jn 12:31), we too can repeat with the faith of Saint Paul: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). We all can overcome, overcome anything, but with the strength that comes from Jesus.

L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 27 April 2018, page 1

For subscriptions to the English edition, contact: Our Sunday Visitor: L'Osservatore Romano

Theology Along the Way

Thoughtfully heading towards heaven, baptism: theological reflections.

In a previous post, I tried to show that baptism in the NT followed faith in Christ. That is, baptism was of believers. Here, I hope to help us think a bit more deeply about the theological picture that baptism paints.

A Brief Theology of Baptism

First, baptism is the means by which those who believe in Jesus identify with God. In Matthew 28:19–20, Jesus commands his disciples to baptize believers “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” John Hammett writes, “’into the name’ was a technical term indicating a transference of ownership. Thus, in baptism one openly confessed that he belonged to Jesus; that is, he was henceforth to be identified with Jesus.” [3] Writing from a Presbyterian tradition, Louis Berkhof notes, “They who accepted Christ by faith were to be baptized in the name of the triune God, as a sign and seal of the fact that they had entered into a new relation to God…” [4] Thus, both credo- and paedobaptist theologians understand the phrase “ into the name” to mean that a disciple identifies himself/herself with the triune God through the act of baptism.

Second, in baptism we specifically identify with the second person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ. As Paul says, “having been buried with [Jesus] in baptism, in which you were also raised with [Jesus] through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised [Jesus] from the dead” (Col 2:12). As Jesus died and was raised from the dead, so Christians have died and have been raised from the dead (cf. Eph 2:5). Believer’s baptism paints this picture in bright colors. Going down into the water testifies to our death with Christ (Rom 6:8). Coming out of the water proclaims that we are new creations in Jesus and are thus to walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4). Therefore, it is only appropriate to apply this ordinance to those of whom it can be said, “You have died with Christ and are now raised with Christ as a new creation, able to walk in newness of life.”

Two other points deserve mention. In addition to identifying with the triune God, particularly with Jesus, and signifying death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ (Rom 6:3–4; Col 2:11–12), baptism also testifies to the cleansing power of Jesus. By faith in Jesus, believers are cleansed from their sin. “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11; cf. Isa 1:18). Schreiner states succinctly, “Baptism…reminds Christians that their sins have been washed away.” [5]

Another important theological reality is how the ordinance of baptism serves as a line in the sand between the unbelieving world and the believing church. To put my cards on the table, as a Baptist, I assume the church is composed of only those who profess faith in Jesus. But how does the church, composed of believers, become identifiable and distinct from the world? Baptism is the proverbial and initial line in the sand.

Baptism draws the boundaries of the local church by communicating who has been transferred from the headship of Adam to the headship of King Jesus. Indeed, Paul writes, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27). [6] Those who are united to Christ by faith (i.e. believers) are distinct from those who are not (i.e. the unbelieving world). And it is baptism that outwardly draws the line between the church and the world.

In summary, baptism identifies a person with the triune God of Scripture and, particularly with Jesus, the second person of the Godhead. In identifying with Christ via baptism, we paint a picture that says we have died with Christ and have been raised to newness of life. Furthermore, baptism points to the power of the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins. Just as physical water is used to cleanse the outward body, so the blood of Jesus washes away the stains of our sins. Lastly, baptism is the proverbial line in the sand that marks out the new covenant people of God from the world.

So what do you do in light of this theological picture? Here are a few suggestions:

If you’ve never painted this theological picture by being baptized as a believer, talk to your pastor(s) and begin to pursue baptism.
Look to your baptism as a God-ordained means to strengthen your faith. Reflecting on the theological meaning of baptism is one way to remind yourself of precious gospel truths.
When your church baptizes new believers, show up and shout for joy. We should celebrate the new life a person has in Christ and sing for joy over their public profession of faith that comes through the baptismal waters.
Encourage those who have never been baptized to obey the command of Jesus. If you’re making disciples, whether at home or work or in the midst of your hobbies, make sure baptism is part of what characterizes your disciple-making. When someone comes to faith, point them to the local church baptismal as an important step of discipleship.
Finally, do not elevate baptism above the gospel. Baptism is important, but it is not the gospel. Make sure you help your church hold the line when it comes to salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. Following Jesus in baptism is a step of obedience, but it is not an act that makes us Christians.

[1] It should be noted that not every denomination would frame the issue this way. The Evangelical Free Church, for instance, would state that baptism is not necessary for church membership. This seems to be a minority position in church history and warrants a separate discussion outside my scope here.

[2] Gavin Ortlund argues that infant baptism is irregular but valid. He does so by arguing that infant baptism is erroneous, but distinguishes between “accidental error” and “essential error.” To illustrate the view, he uses the analogy of baseball where a “baseball manifesto” dictates 9 innings per game. Yet, if you play a 7-inning baseball game, though you are playing baseball wrongly (according to the manifesto), you are still playing baseball. Thus, with baptism, though you are doing it wrongly (i.e. baptizing infants), you are still practicing baptism (Gavin Ortlund, “Can We Reject Paedobaptism and Still Receive Paedobaptists?” Mere Orthodoxy, Jan 3, 2019 https://mereorthodoxy.com/baptism-church-membership/ ). However, as Jonathan Leeman has written in response, “cricket is not baseball, whether with seven innings or nine” (Jonathan Leeman, “Church Membership and the Definitions of Baptism,” Mere Orthodoxy, Jan 4, 2019 https://mereorthodoxy.com/church-membership-definition-baptism/ ). In short, infant baptism is not merely an erroneous practice of valid baptism, it is no baptism at all.

[3] John S. Hammett, Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches: A Contemporary Ecclesiology (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2005), 263. Hans Kung writes, “The central feature of baptism is ‘his name,’ into which men are immersed,” in which men are baptized. “In Jesus the reign of God has already begun, in him has been given the call to a radical decision of faith in God and his reign, in him man is challenged, in opposition to the law, to fulfill his will in love of God and his neighbor. In him, God’s reign, God’s challenge, God’s will, God’s word and hence God himself has been revealed. This is the significance of the trinitarian baptismal formula; baptism is given in the name of him, in whom God himself through the Spirit has his dwelling among us” (Hans Küng, The Church (London: Burns & Oates, 1967), 207.)

[4] Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology , New ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 1996), 624. Also, Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1998), 925.

[5] Schreiner, “Baptism in the Bible,” in Dever, Leeman, and Garrett, Baptist Foundations , 103.

[6] John Stott notes, “The apostle clearly makes faith the means of our union with Christ. He mentions faith five times in this paragraph, but baptism only once. Faith secures the union; baptism signifies it outwardly and visibly (John R. W. Stott, The Message of Galatians: Only One Way , The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1986), 99).

A Personal Reflection on Baptism

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Chapter 3 – The Sacrament of Baptism

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Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit ( vitae spiritualis ianua ) (Council of Florence: DS 1314: vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments. ( CCC #1213)

The word “baptism” means to “plunge” or “immerse.” This plunging does something beyond description. It actually brings about a complete transformation of the person baptized. They are “born again.” Remember what Jesus said to the Pharisee Nicodemus: “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (Jn 3:5). Baptism is that new birth. And this is not simply some symbolic or inspiring statement. Jesus is not just speaking in an analogous way. He’s telling the truth! Baptism is an actual new birth by water and the Holy Spirit. The result of this new birth is that a new person emerges. The old person enters into the water of baptism and dies. Then the new person rises from those waters. For this reason, the ideal form of baptism is full immersion. The person is completely plunged into the water just as Jesus died and entered into the tomb. And then, just as Jesus rose from the tomb, so also the newly created Christian rises from the waters.

Effects of Baptism

The fact that water is used for baptism signifies that there is a true cleansing that takes place. It’s a washing away of sin and death. And since baptism is a sacrament, it accomplishes that which it signifies. In other words, it actually does wash away all sin and death.

Original Sin: First of all, baptism washes away original sin . When we were conceived in our mother’s womb, we were conceived in a state of original sin. This means we were conceived and born into the world in a state of 100% need. Our human nature is wounded to the point that we cannot achieve happiness without some essential help. We cannot make it to Heaven or union with God without some essential gift from God. This gift is what we call grace. And without grace we are doomed to sin and death. But God did not leave us abandoned. He did not leave us in our sin. His death and resurrection destroyed death itself and restored life. But the key question to ask here is this: How does God impart to us the grace that He won by His death and resurrection? How do we receive what He offered our fallen human nature? The answer, first and foremost, is Baptism!

Baptism is the first action in our lives that truly gives us grace. It is the doorway through which we enter the life of grace, become members of the Church, and share in the life of the Trinity. As the waters of Baptism are poured upon us, we are transformed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Personal Sin: When an adult is baptized, baptism also washes away all personal sins committed. Yes, we all sin. Therefore, those who are old enough to sin (those who have reached the age of reason) carry more than original sin, they also carry personal sins. But baptism is so transformative and complete that, when an adult is baptized, each and every personal sin they have committed is washed away. In the early Church, there were even some who chose to wait to be baptized until they were older so that every sin would be washed away in this Sacrament just before death. This early Christian practice misses the fact of God’s ongoing mercy and forgiveness, but it illustrates the point that all personal sin is washed away. This is often received as very good news by those adults who are baptized after a checkered past. It’s received as good news because, when they are baptized, all their sins are wiped away! What a grace!

Indelible Spiritual Mark: Baptism also places what we call an “indelible spiritual mark” on our soul. We’re like animals who get branded. The physical mark is a permanent sign of who that animal’s owner is. Similarly, in baptism our souls are marked with a permanent spiritual marking to reveal the fact that we forever remain children of God. Even if we seriously sin, this marking remains a constant source of grace calling us back to God.

Children of God: Baptism makes us adopted children of God. When we are baptized, we enter into the new family of the Trinity. We become one with Christ Jesus, are filled with the Holy Spirit and are made children of the Father in Heaven. It is the unity with Jesus that brings this about. Since baptism has the effect of making us members of the Body of Christ, we are automatically filled with the Holy Spirit as a result. And when the Father looks at His Son Jesus, He also sees us as a member of His Son’s body. Therefore, we can now call God our Father.

New Brothers and Sisters: If God is my Father, and God is your Father, then we share a new spiritual kinship. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, sharing the same Father in Heaven. So baptism brings about a spiritual unity and a spiritual family bond that cannot be lost. Once baptized, we will always share in this grace. Even if we become like wayward children, our Father is always waiting to welcome us back into His family by grace.

Old Testament Prefigurations

Baptism was seen in a veiled way from the beginning of time. The fact that God would save us one day through water is also seen in the many ways that God saved His people in the Old Testament. Let’s look at those ways.

Creation: The second sentence of the book of Genesis says there was “a mighty wind sweeping over the waters” (Gn 1:2). This is a reference to the Holy Spirit breathing on the waters of creation, making them a source of holiness for the world. This is the first baptismal image we have in the Scriptures.

Noah: God first chose to destroy the sinful world with water. This was a sign of baptism. Just as the waters covered the Earth and destroyed all things, so also baptism covers us and destroys sin. Noah and his family are the new humanity. So also we are part of that new humanity since washed with the waters of baptism.

Red Sea: The Red Sea is the most notable sign of baptism in the Old Testament. In this event, we see God’s people saved as they walk through the waters of this sea. As they pass through the waters, evil is destroyed behind them, symbolized by the covering of Pharaoh’s army with water. Yet the Israelites are led into freedom through these same waters.

Jordan River: On the final journey into the promised land, Joshua led the Israelites through the waters of the Jordan River. It was a mighty river. However, as soon as the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant entered the waters, the river stopped flowing and the Israelites were able to pass through. This points to Baptism as the gateway to the promised land of grace in our lives.

Giving Us This Sacrament

The Sacrament of Baptism was immediately presented to us when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan. John had been baptizing people and calling them to repentance. He was preparing them for the coming of the Messiah. And then Jesus the Son of God showed up to be baptized by John. John didn’t want to do it at first, but Jesus insisted. So He entered the Jordan and was baptized by John.

Did Jesus need this baptism? Did He need to repent? Obviously not. What Jesus did in that baptism could be called a “reverse baptism.” In other words, as Jesus entered the water, He Himself baptized the water. And by entering into the water, He made all water holy and transmitted His grace to it so that it could henceforth be used as the instrument of the baptism of others.

Though Jesus was not changed by His baptism as we are, it was the beginning of His public ministry and the first manifestation of who He was. The Spirit descended in manifest form, and the Father spoke from Heaven. This is a revelation of Jesus as a member of the Trinity, sent by the Father and empowered by the Spirit, to fulfill His divine mission of salvation.

Baptism, as a sacrament, was formally instituted by Jesus just before He ascended into Heaven. He said to His Apostles, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). With this command, we have the glorious gateway to grace that Jesus intended.

Who Baptizes Whom?

Baptism was entrusted to the Apostles by Jesus. He commanded them to go forth and baptize. Therefore, it is first and foremost the responsibility of bishops and priests to carry out this duty. Deacons are also ordinary ministers of Baptism, since they share in the Sacrament of Holy Orders. However, since Baptism is necessary for salvation and is intended for all people, it is possible for anyone to baptize. Here are a couple of examples to illustrate.

Imagine a child is born and the doctor says this child only has minutes to live. It would be proper for a parent to take water and baptize. This is done by three acts: 1) Pour water on the child’s head; 2) Say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; 3) Intend to baptize as the Church intends. So water, words and intention are all required.

This same child could actually be baptized by the doctor or nurse, even if, for example, the doctor or nurse were Jewish or atheist. As long as the person baptizing fulfills the three requirements above, the child is truly baptized.

Something additional is required of those to be baptized who have reached the age of reason. They must desire Baptism and choose it for themselves, whereas infants are baptized when the parents alone intend to raise them in the faith of the Church. This poses an interesting question.

Is it better for a child to become an adult and then freely choose Baptism, or is it better to baptize someone as a child? Of course, our Church teaches it’s best to baptize children rather than adults, but the reasoning is important to understand.

Some will argue that it’s better not to baptize as children, because they need to make their own decision about their faith when they grow up. Children cannot choose Baptism or Christ. But our Church has the tradition of baptizing children. We do so because we believe it’s better for a child to be raised in the faith. This presupposes they will choose Christ as they grow and mature and affords them all the grace they need to make this essential choice throughout their lives. So they still must make the choice to follow Christ as they grow and mature, but infant baptism helps them make the right choice. And even a two-year-old needs grace to begin learning right from wrong. So Baptism gives them what they need as they need it.

Now what about those who are not baptized, you ask? What happens to them? And what about children who are not baptized? Are they doomed?

These questions can only be understood if we understand the perfect love and wisdom of God in all things. God is not legalistic. He does not look at a child who dies and say, “Well, sorry, but I only take baptized children into Heaven.” This would be contrary to the infinite mercy and wisdom of God. Yet at the same time, the Church teaches that Baptism is the only way we know of that leads to salvation. Therefore, it is necessary. So how do we reconcile these views that appear to be opposed? That is, how do we reconcile a loving God with the teaching that Baptism is necessary for salvation?

This is done quite easily. We believe that Baptism is the only way we know of (the only way God revealed to us) to receive the grace of salvation. But God, in His infinite love and wisdom, is not constrained or bound by the limited revelation He shared with us. God can do whatever He wants to do. We are bound by the Sacraments, but God is not. Therefore, if a child dies before Baptism, the parents should rest assured that God loves that child far more than they do. And this perfectly loving God will act in a way that is perfectly loving toward that child. One speculation is that God offers that child the same choice He offered the angels. They had a one-time opportunity to choose. So it is entirely possible that when this child dies and faces God, this child will be invited to choose to love God freely and, thus, spend eternity with God. But we must always remember that Heaven does require a free choice. Therefore, not even a child would be forced to be there against his or her will.

Another interesting scenario is the adult who is not baptized. What happens when that adult dies? Again, we must look at this from the point of view of a God who is infinitely wise and infinitely loving. In this case, there are a few possibilities. The first possibility is what is referred to as “baptism by blood.” This would be the person who desires Baptism but, before actually receiving this sacrament, is martyred for his faith. We don’t see this that often today, but it was a real situation in the early Church. We believe that this desire to be baptized, as well as the act of martyrdom, earns the grace of Baptism by means other than water, and thus the person receives all the graces and effects of a traditional baptism.

Similarly, we speak of “baptism by desire.” This would include those who believe and desire Baptism but die before they are baptized by water. Again, the desire alone suffices for God to pour forth His grace. This would also apply to children who die before they are baptized when the parents desired Baptism. The desire on the part of the parents suffices for the grace to be poured forth.

Lastly, we need to look at the situation of those who did not choose to be baptized and, therefore, died without this sacrament. These cases will fall in one of two categories. First, there are those who through no fault of their own did not come to an explicit faith in Christ and, as a result, did not seek Baptism. In this case, God will judge only the heart. There are many reasons why a person may not come to explicit faith in Christ through no fault of their own. Say, for example, that a person lives in some culture where the Gospel has never been preached, and they actually have never heard of Jesus. Does God consider them to be deserving of eternal damnation because they never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus? Certainly not.

Another example would be the person who heard about Jesus but received only a message of hypocrisy. Let’s say that the message preached was continually skewed and malicious. Perhaps the preacher was living a double life, and the person hearing about Jesus rejected the explicit Gospel message because of this messenger. Furthermore, we should presume that the Gospel message was being presented in a very disordered way. In that case, the rejection of the message may actually have been a rejection of the hypocrisy of the messenger. And that may be a good thing!

The bottom line is that God knows the heart, and God sees the intention in that heart. So if someone fails to come to an explicit faith in Christ and, therefore, fails to receive the Sacrament of Baptism in an explicit way, God will still look only at the heart. And when He does look into that heart, if He sees goodness and faith, He will pour out His grace anyway. So, a person who is not baptized may actually be following the voice of God in their conscience without even realizing whose voice it is. In reality, this person has faith and God will see that!

The only case that may end with eternal damnation is the person who fails to receive Baptism through their own fault. They are given every opportunity to hear the Gospel, they have the good Christian witness of others, and they interiorly reject this of their own free will. Free will is the key here. And, again, only God knows the heart, and only God can be the judge of one’s heart. So if God sees in the heart an obstinacy that is freely chosen, then this person is guilty and may lose that offer of eternal salvation. This is sad.

The Celebration of Baptism

Baptism is celebrated according to a set liturgical rite that has evolved over the centuries. A detailed explanation would be a book in itself. For our purposes, we will look only at some of the essential parts of the liturgical rite and speak to their symbolism and meaning. This reflection is based on the Rite of Baptism for Children, but the symbolism and meaning applies to adults who are baptized also.

Beginning at the Entrance of the Church: Baptism begins at the entrance of the Church. This is done as a symbolic gesture of what is happening. The child being baptized is being welcomed into the Church as a member of Christ’s body. The church building is a symbol of Christ’s spiritual Body, the Church. Therefore, the person is met at the entrance and welcomed into Christ Jesus.

Marked with the Sign of the Cross: The person to be baptized is then marked on the forehead with the sign of the Cross by the minister, the parents and the godparents. This symbolic gesture is an indication of what is soon to take place. The child will be marked by Baptism with an indelible spiritual marking from God on their soul.

Proclamation of the Scriptures: The Word of God is read, and a homily is given. This shows that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. And the response to that faith is first and foremost Baptism.

Anointing with Oil of Catechumen: A prayer against evil is prayed over the child (a prayer of exorcism), and then the child is anointed with oil that was previously blessed by the bishop. This prayer acknowledges the reality of evil in our world and, at the beginning of the child’s Christian life, offers the grace of protection. The child is then anointed on the breast as a sign of receiving a breastplate of protection.

Blessing of Water: The minister moves to the baptismal font and prays a prayer of blessing upon the water. The most traditional of prayers used is one which recounts the history of God’s use of water. It recounts the events mentioned earlier in this chapter regarding the following: the Spirit breathed on the waters at Creation; the story of Noah; the Red Sea; the Jordan; and the Baptism of Jesus.

Renunciation of Sin and Profession of Faith: The parents and godparents are asked to profess their faith and, in so doing, to profess the faith in which the child is about to be baptized. In this profession of faith, they are promising to raise the child in this faith they profess.

Rite of Baptism: The essential part of Baptism is the pouring, sprinkling or immersion with water. While the water touches the person, the Trinitarian formula is said: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The minister must also have the intention to do what the Church intends to do, namely, to baptize.

Chrism: Chrism is a mixture of oil and perfume. It is blessed by the bishop at a special Mass during Holy Week called the Chrism Mass. This chrism is also used in Confirmation and Holy Orders. The oil is a symbol of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the perfume is a symbol of the sweet fragrance of Christ which must always permeate their lives.

Baptismal Garment: The child is covered with a white garment, which is a symbol of being clothed in Christ. White is a symbol of purity and freedom from sin.

Candle: The parents and godparents then receive a lit candle. The candle is lit from the Easter candle, which is a symbol of Christ Himself. The light is entrusted to the parents and godparents as a way of telling them they are now responsible to keep this light of faith alive in the heart of this child through their words and actions so that the faith given in Baptism will reach culmination one day in Heaven.

Blessing of Parents: The rite concludes with a special blessing of the parents. This blessing acknowledges the fact that parents play an essential role in the Christian upbringing and formation of children who are baptized. They can only fulfill this role with the help of God!

Next: Chapter 4 – The Sacrament of Confirmation

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Sharing the Divine Life

Monastic wisdom, for everyday living.

Br. James Koester on how baptism enables us to share in the divine life.

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SHARING THE DIVINE LIFE

Before coming to the monastery, I served for a number of years as a parish priest in a little parish on the west coast of Canada. I’d been in the parish for about six months when a woman named Alice came out of church one Sunday and told me she had only ever heard me preach one sermon. I knew that that wasn’t true. Alice and her husband had been in church nearly every Sunday since I had come to the parish and on the rare occasion they missed a Sunday they called the rectory ahead of time to explain why they were going to be absent! I obviously looked confused because she went on to say: “What I mean is that it doesn’t matter where you start, you always end up back in the same place: at baptism.” I began to apologize, but she cut in, “Oh no, no. No need to apologize. I wasn’t complaining. I was agreeing with you, because baptism is so important for the life of a Christian.” Alice of course was right. Baptism is important because baptism is about nothing less than sharing in the divine life of God.

“O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature,” we pray in the Collect for the Second Sunday after Christmas, “Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity..." In the Incarnation, we believe that as Christ shared in our human life, so we share in his divine life through baptism. As the Prayer Book Catechism reminds us, “Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.” Thus we share in the divine life of God by being made children of God, by being made members of Christ’s body, and by becoming heirs of the kingdom of God. If we truly believe what we say, all of this happens at the font where we die to sin and rise to newness of life through the waters of baptism, just as the First Letter of Peter reminds us: “And baptism . . . now saves you – not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.” In this way, even now and not at some future date, because of our baptism, we begin to share the reality of that divine life we speak of in the Collect, and which Christ promises to all who believe in him: “to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”

When we begin to understand that baptism does something to us now, and that that something is nothing short of incorporation into the divine life of God, then we can begin to experience the Trinity, not as some kind of mathematical puzzle – or a scientific experiment using water, ice, and steam showing that each of them is the same chemical but simply in a different form. Rather, we will know the doctrine of the Trinity as a lived reality. By our baptism we are invited not merely to understand, but to experience the Trinity.

Behold what you are; may we become what we receive.

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Our founder, Father Benson, speaks about how problematic is our neglect of the doctrine of the Trinity, and his comments are perhaps truer today than they were when he first said them. Father Benson goes so far as to say:

I quite feel that the practical neglect of the doctrine of the Trinity has been the great cause of the decay of Christendom. The Church – the Sacraments – Hagilogy, I had almost said Mythology – have filled the minds of devout people, partly for good partly for evil. Thyself unmoved, all motion’s source , this mystery of the circulating life of the eternal Godhead, has been almost lost to sight, spoken of as a mystery, and not felt as a power or loved as a reality. 5

Imagine anyone claiming today that the decline of the Church is related to a decline in teaching about the doctrine of the Trinity! But think how rich our preaching about the Trinity could be if we connected it to our understanding of baptism. To turn again to Father Benson: “If we would know the Trinity, we must know ourselves taken into the Trinity.” 6

What does it mean to say that we are “taken into the Trinity?” It actually is not as complicated as it might at first sound. Chapter Four in the Rule of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist on “The Witness of Life in Community,” explains how every form of human community takes its cue from the Holy Trinity: “In community we bear witness to the social nature of human life as willed by our Creator. Human beings bear the image of the triune God and are not meant to be separate and isolated. All of us are called by God to belong to communities.” 7 Such a lived reality of communion and community with God and one another, rooted in baptism, brings a far different understanding to the doctrine of the Trinity than any number of mathematical conundrums by which we try to convince people that 3 = 1. As communities have broken down and families fragmented, is it any wonder that the notion of community has such appeal today? As Christians, our understanding of community is, as Father Benson would say, rooted in the very heart of God who is Community.

The famous icon of the Holy Trinity by Saint Andrei Rublev offers a powerful glimpse at what the communal life of God the Trinity looks like. Our Rule calls this life one of “reciprocal self-giving and love.” 8 And the icon by Rublev illustrates this, depicting three near-identical figures seated at a table. They’re involved in communication. Their heads appear to be inclined towards one another, they seem to make eye contact, and their hands are captured in a series of delicate gestures, almost as if one points to another in a circle. It is as if we have caught them mid-conversation. Look again: There are four sides to this table, but only three seats are filled. The spot closest to the viewer is left open because Rublev wants to show us that there is a place at the table for us. God is inviting us into the circle of divine communion and community.

We’re invited to participate in the Trinity not as a mathematical puzzle, an intellectual quandary to be solved, but as an experience of community to be had. As our Rule explains, “Our human vocation to live in communion and mutuality is rooted in our creation in God’s image and likeness. The very being of God is community; the Father, Son and Spirit are One in reciprocal self-giving and love. The mystery of God as Trinity is one that only those living in personal communion can understand by experience.” 9 God the Trinity is a mystery, solvable only by the experience of life in community. Whether we look to the divine community of the Trinity or the human communities in which we take part on earth, we come to know the Trinity only when we experience it as a relationship of self-giving and love. And we begin to do this in baptism. So the formula for Holy Baptism proclaims that we are brought into this relationship: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

God the Trinity is a mystery, solvable only by the experience of life in community.

Sharing in the divine life of the Trinity through baptism has deep ramifications for the way we understand not just the stories in the gospels or their promises about Christ. Sharing the divine life of God has huge ramifications for how we understand ourselves as well.

To take one example, consider the Ascension of Christ. Father Benson loved the Ascension and was constantly inviting his audience to “Look to the glory of the ascended Christ.” He points repeatedly throughout his writings to Christ’s Ascension because he wants to remind us that the Ascension is not something that happened a long time ago to someone else – although it did indeed happen to Jesus. But the Ascension is not an isolated incident. If we really do believe what we say about baptism – that we are made members of Christ – then, the Ascension is about us as well. If Christ has ascended into heaven and has taken his place at the right hand of the Father in glory, then as members of Christ’s body, so too have we. The Ascension is not simply about Christ, it is about us as well.

Now, upon his Ascension, His body in them is glorified instantaneously with the glorifying of His body at the right hand of God. Like an electric flash the glory of the Spirit shines out in the fires of Pentecost. The body of Christ, however veiled in our flesh . . . nevertheless cannot but have the glory of the Spirit of holy fire burning and resting upon it. We do not, I think, dwell as we ought to dwell upon the present glorification of our nature in our own persons, as members of the glorified body of Christ. 10

In the Collect for the Feast of the Ascension, we proclaim that Christ has “ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell.” 11 Christ ascends so that we might also “thither ascend.” This is not just about Christ. It is about us as well.

Baptized into the Trinity, ascended with Christ, we share in the divine life of God. “Do you not know,” Saint Paul asks in the Letter to the Romans, “that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his life. Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” 12 That glory is not something that will happen to us someday in the future. We are already glorified with Christ because we have been baptized into his life, death, and resurrection. In the same letter, Saint Paul goes on to urge, “if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” 13

This is not just about Christ. It is about us as well.

Baptism then is about union and communion. “We will certainly be united with him,” says Saint Paul. And we experience baptism as both a sign and a seal of that hope. First, we experience it as a sign of what God desires for us: namely, life and union with God. Second, we know that it is a seal of that promised life and union with God. God is reaching out to us with this gift of baptism, both as a sign and seal of God’s love. And, when we accept baptism, we reach forward to God claiming the promise and sharing the life. In baptism, we glimpse that mutuality and reciprocity that is at the heart of community, what the Rule calls, “reciprocal self-giving and love,” just as the figures in Rublev’s icon of the Trinity reach out to one another and to us.

In this way, baptism is very much like the moment of the Eucharist when God reaches out to us as we reach out to God to receive that Sacrament in our outstretched hands. We reach out to meet the One who first reaches out to us. There is a similar kind of reciprocity and mutuality in baptism. “Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Saviour?” the celebrant asks the person about to be baptized. We say “Yes” and we turn to God, even as we acknowledge that it is God who has first called us.

We have the opportunity to experience and to renew our baptism Sunday by Sunday in the Eucharist. Tradition frequently calls the Eucharist the Blessed Sacrament, but Father Benson would claim that it is actually Holy Baptism. He laments how “In Western Christendom the Holy Eucharist has so entirely overshadowed Holy Baptism that the food of our life is made to be a gift greater than the life which it sustains.” 14 He means to point out how the Eucharist renews and sustains the life we were given in baptism. Baptism is the fundamental event by which we are invited to share in the divine life. In the Eucharist, we have an opportunity to renew, reaffirm, and nourish that life. Even those of us who were baptized as infants and have no memory of the event can have an ongoing, powerful experience of our baptism – of meeting God and being embraced by God – when we are fed by God in the Eucharist. For in the Eucharist we are again brought into communion and community with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we reach out for the Bread and Wine, we can remember the divine life which it sustains in us, and by which we are made members of Christ, the children of God, and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The weekly renewal of our baptism through the Eucharist aims to remind us that the life we share with God is not a life that is “yet to come.” We are not simply waiting for someday in the future when we will share in the life of God or be united with God. Baptism promises us that we are already sharing the life of God. We’re already sharing in the life of God, already joining the Trinity around the table, as in Rublev’s icon, already sharing in the glory of the life of the Ascended Christ. Baptized in the name of the Trinity, we are already sharing in the mystery of this communion.

Baptism promises us that we are already sharing the life of God.

Our sharing in the life of God, here and now, is why the sacramental signs of baptism and the Eucharist are so powerful: water, oil, bread and wine. These concrete elements ground our experience of the divine life in the here and now. They tell us that this mystery which we proclaim – the divine life we share – is happening right now. So I love the fact that we use real bread in our Eucharist at the Monastery, because you don’t need to pretend that the Eucharist is feeding you. You actually experience how the Eucharist is feeding you. You can actually taste the bread, you have to chew and swallow. And so too, I love the way we celebrate baptisms at the Monastery, because people actually get wet. Babies go all the way into the font: toes, knees, bellies, elbows, and heads. The water, the bread tell us that this is happening right now. You can feel it, smell it, and taste it.

We can sometimes treat baptism as if it’s cute, all dolled up with christening gowns and frilly bonnets. Baptism is not cute. It’s awful – not in the ghastly or dreadful sense of the word, but in the sense of the word that means “inspiring awe or wonder.” Baptism is awe-full. Baptism should strike terror and wonder into our hearts, for by it we are made members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven. And this is not kids’ stuff, not child’s play, though God wants children to share in the divine life, too. While we might feel child-like wonder faced with God’s glory in baptism, we should also feel a very grown-up terror.

At their best, the visual signs we use in baptism can help us to perceive the danger we are facing as we encounter the living God. Imagine if, while baptizing you, the celebrant held your head under the water for a few seconds longer than you expected. If you were lucky, you’d come up gasping. If you were unlucky, you’d come up choking. Just as the Eucharist is about eating and drinking, chewing and gulping, baptism is about drowning and rising. It is about death and life. It is about washing and bathing. Baptism is dangerous because you could die. But it is also life-giving because, at the very moment of death, you are pulled out of the water and saved. The stark reality is that there is a danger in baptism, but there is life as well, for just as the celebrant says, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” you are plunged into the water, and then, just in time, are lifted up to breathe in the life of God – not later – right now.

Water and oil, bread and wine: these are vivid signs and seals of God’s desire for us to share in the divine life. In baptism, even as we drip with the water of life and smell the fragrance of the oil of our sealing in the Spirit, we realize that our life has been given back to us, and that it is no ordinary life, for the life we live now is the very life of God, whose divine life we share as members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven.

1 Book of Common Prayer 1979: 214. 2 Book of Common Prayer 1979: 858. 3 1 Peter 3:21-22 4 John 1:12-13 5 Letters of Richard Meux Benson SSJE , A.R. Mowbray Co. Ltd., 1916: 187. 6 Cowley Evangelist , 1919: 147. 7 Rule of Life of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, 8. 8 Ibid , 9. 9 Ibid , 9. 10 Further Letters , 268-9. 11 Book of Common Prayer 1979, 174. 12 Romans 6:4. 13 Romans 6:5. 14 Further Letters , 44.

About Br. James Koester

In 1989 he came to the United States to test his vocation with the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, where he was life-professed in 1995. Br. James has served in a wide range of leadership posts in the Society, currently serving as the community’s Superior. During his time in the Society he has traveled widely in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the Holy Land, and in Africa, leading retreats and workshops, preaching, teaching, and offering spiritual direction. His personal interests include genealogy, the study and writing of icons, and beekeeping.

Three Reflections on Baptism

This post was originally published on Acts29’s blog .

One of the joys of being a church planter is the opportunity to disciple, equip, and instruct our people on important aspects of the faith often for those who have very limited knowledge of these things. The importance of baptism is one of these opportunities we should take to disciple our people on it’s importance as well as how they should reflect on it when they observe others being plunged beneath the water.

Here are 3 things I think we should call our people’s attention to as they observe baptism as we seek to instruct them in the faith:

3 Thoughts/Reflections:

When you witness a baptism, reflect on your own – When we observe baptisms (and hear their testimonies before they enter the water) we should reflect on our own baptism and testimony. In that moment when you get to participate in that Ordinance with them and as you see them plunged beneath the water and coming out on the other side, reflect that you to were once dead in your trespasses but God in His mercy has made you alive and delivered you from the body of death! Often as I hear these testimonies, I am brought to tears reflecting on the fact that I am a great sinner deserving nothing from the Lord except, “ depart from me you worker of iniquity ” and instead now in union with Christ (pictured and proclaimed in our baptism as we are unified with Him in death, burial, and resurrection) we who once had no hope and were without God in the World have now been “ brought near by the blood of Christ! ” That should make us treasure the gospel and the work that Christ has done on our behalf. We should never witness a baptism without reflecting on our own baptism. (Read Romans 6:3-11 for further reflection on your Baptism)
Small acts lead to big celebrations – Treasuring the gospel that has changed us should lead us to want others to be changed by it! Often as I have listened to the testimonies of those being baptized, I have been struck at the fact that little acts of obedience had culminated in a day of great celebration (in fact one attendee at one of our baptism services called it a “party”). Ordinary people had done ordinary things like invite someone to an Easter service, or invite someone walking by our building to come in, or a son consistently talking with his mother about Jesus, or people coming around a family when they were financially strapped, or a deacon walking across the street to talk with a panhandler and then sitting down with them about life and inviting them to a service. All of these seemingly small acts had their place in seeing someone transferred from the domain of darkness in to the Kingdom of the Beloved Son. Let’s teach our people not to underestimate how their small acts of kindness, obedience, and invitation can culminate in a party!
Baptism is not just for the one being baptized but it is for the church – The Christian life is not about a regenerate moment (when we pray a prayer or even our baptism) living out a regenerate life. Baptism in the NT certainly is the public marker that we have been regenerated (gone from death to life) but it is merely the beginning and the acknowledgment that Jesus is my Lord and that this one will follow Him until the end. Teach your people that these that have gone in to the water need us, the church, to help them hold fast to their confession just as we need each other to help us hold fast to our confession. We must teach our people, and remind them of this in baptism, to care for these like the brothers and sisters that they are and help them to fight the good fight until they and we see Jesus face to face!

It is my hope that we will use moments like when we baptize to teach our people to reflect on God’s grace and encourage them to be spurred on in the mission. We know that Baptism does not save (especially if the one being baptized has not exercised genuine faith), but it is not merely a symbol. It is a sign to the one being baptized of their union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (that we have died to sin and even death and have been reborn to a life that follows Christ). Baptism is a sign to the church that whoever is the one coming up out of the water is one of ours. And it is a sign to the powers that the flood of judgment is headed for them but we have already been through the flood of judgment and we have already passed through the waters of the Jordan and in Christ we are already seated in the Promise Land! When we observe baptisms, it is not as though we are merely the audience watching as someone else does something. Rather, we are participants who should reflect on where we once were, who we are now, what our mission is, and where we are headed in Christ… to a place where a billion years from now, we will still be celebrating and across the table will be people like Joe, Victoria, Tony, Susan, Crystal, Samuel, Andrew, Robert, and Ricki!

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Guided Reflection on Our Baptismal Promises

Lead a reflection on our baptismal promises with the young people in your group. This may be a part of Confirmation preparation sessions or any session focusing on the Sacrament of Baptism.

Prepare to share the reflection by reading it through beforehand. During the session you may wish to use the script as is, or adapt it as you wish. When leading the reflection, play reflective music softly in the background to enhance the sense of prayerfulness. Be aware of your voice quality, your pacing, and the message.

Download the Guided Reflection on Our Baptismal Promises.

Joe Paprocki, D.Min.

Joe Paprocki, D.Min. has more than 40 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 150 dioceses in North America.

Reflections for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord

(Is 40:1-5, 9-11; Ti 2:11-14, 3:4-7; Lk 3:15-16, 21-22)

Introduction: The Baptism of the Lord is the great event celebrated by the Eastern churches on the feast of Epiphany because it is the occasion of the first public revelation of all the Three Persons in the Holy Trinity , and the official revelation of Jesus as the Son of God to the world by God the Father . Hence, it is described by all four Gospels . It marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The Christmas season, celebrating the Self-revelation of God through Jesus, comes to an end with the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Christmas is the feast of God’s Self-revelation to the Jews, and Epiphany celebrates God’s Self-revelation to the Gentiles. At his Baptism in the Jordan, Christ reveals himself to repentant sinners. The liturgical season of Christmas comes to a conclusion this Sunday with the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord.

Homily starter anecdote : #1 : Leaders who identified with their people : The film Gandhi is a three-hour epic, depicting the life of Mahatma Gandhi in India. In order to lead the oppressed people of India to freedom from British rule, Gandhi adopted non-violent means such as fasting from food, vigils of prayer, peaceful marches, protests and civil disobedience. One of the reasons why Gandhi put on a loincloth and fasted from food, almost to the point of death, was to show solidarity with the Indian people, identifying with them in their physical sufferings. This finally brought independence to India. Rev. Martin Luther King , too, identified with his enslaved and maltreated people and became the voice of the voiceless in the name of God. Consequently, he was maligned, beaten, jailed, and assassinated while he preached peace, justice and non-violence on behalf of the downtrodden Afro-Americans in the U. S. His heroic example definitely demonstrates Christian living for tens of millions of the poor and alienated Afro- Americans in the U.S. and the oppressed millions worldwide. To better appreciate his struggles against the sins of our culture, particularly of our "Christian" clergy, you are invited to read Dr. King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail” readily available on the internet ( http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html ). Jesus’ baptism, as described in today’s Gospel, was his identification with God’s chosen people who became aware of their sinful lives and need for God’s forgiveness. ( http://frtonyshomilies.com/ ).

Exegesis : Origin of baptism: Neither John nor Jesus invented baptism. It had been practiced for centuries among the Jews as a ritual equivalent to our Confession. Until the fall of the Temple in 70 AD, it was common for Jewish people to use a special pool called a Mikveh -- literally a "collection of water" – as a means of spiritual cleansing, to remove spiritual impurity and sin. Men took this bath weekly on the eve of the Sabbath; women, monthly. Converts were also expected to take this bath before entering Judaism. The Orthodox Jews still retain the rite. John preached that such a bath was a necessary preparation for the cataclysm that would be wrought by the coming Messiah. Jesus transformed this continuing ritual into the one single, definitive act by which we begin our life of Faith. In effect, He fused His Divine Essence with the water and the ceremony.

A couple of questions : 1) Why did Jesus, the sinless Son of God, receive the "baptism of repentance" meant for sinners? 2) Why did Jesus wait for thirty years to begin his public ministry? The strange answer for the first question given by the apocryphal book, The Gospel according to the Hebrews , is that Jesus received the baptism of John to please his mother and relatives. In this humble submission, we see a foreshadowing of the “baptism” of his bloody death upon the cross. Jesus’ baptism by John was the acceptance and the beginning of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will. Out of love, He consented to His baptism of death for the remission of our sins. Many Fathers of the Church explain that Jesus received John’s baptism to identify himself with his people, who, as a result of John's preaching, for the first time in Jewish history became aware of their sins and of their need for repentance. The Jews had the traditional belief that only the Gentiles who embraced Jewish religion needed the baptism of repentance, for, as God's chosen people, the Jewish race was holy. Jesus might have been waiting for this most opportune moment to begin his public ministry. The Fathers of the Church point out that the words which the Voice of the Heavenly Father speaks are similar to Psalm 2:17, revealing Jesus’ identity ( "This is My beloved Son " ) and to Isaiah 42:1 referring to the " suffering servant " (" with whom I am well pleased "), revealing Jesus’ mission of saving mankind by His suffering and death.

The turning point: Jesus’ baptism by John was a mystical experience that Jesus felt deep within his soul at the crucial turning point of his life. The opening of the Heavens with Holy Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus, and the Voice declaring of Jesus, "This is My beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased," are God's revelation to mankind of the Mystery that He is Triune. The presence of the Triune God at this baptism, reveals Jesus’ true identity and mission. The Heavens’ opening also indicates that this was a moment of God’s powerful intervention in human history and in the life of His Son. His baptism by John was a very important event in the life of Jesus. First, it was a moment of decision. It marked the end of Jesus' private life, which had prepared him for his public ministry. Second, it was a moment of identification with his people in their God-ward movement initiated by John the Baptist (quality of a good leader). Third, it was a moment of approval . Jesus might have been waiting for a signal of approval from his Heavenly Father, and during his baptism Jesus got this approval of himself as the Father's "beloved Son." Fourth, it was a moment of conviction . At this baptism, Jesus received certainties (assurances) from Heaven about his identity and the nature of his mission: a) He was the "Chosen One" and the "beloved Son of God"; b) his mission of saving mankind would be fulfilled, not by conquering the Romans, but by becoming the "suffering servant" of God, i.e., by the cross. Fifth, it was a moment of equipment . When He descended on Jesus in the form of a dove (symbol of gentleness), the Holy Spirit equipped Jesus with the power of healing, and that of preaching the "Good News" -- that God is a loving Father, Who wants to save all human beings from their sins through His Son Jesus, in contrast to the "axe" and "fire" preaching of John the Baptist about an angry God's judgment on sinners.

Life messages: 1) The baptism of Jesus reminds us of our identity and mission . First, it reminds us of who we are and Whose we are . By Baptism we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, heirs of Heaven and temples of the Holy Spirit. We become incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ, and made sharers in the priesthood of Christ [CCC #1279]. Hence, "Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other Sacraments" ( Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1213). Most of us dipped the fingers of our right hand into the holy water font and blessed ourselves when we came into Church today. Why ? This blessing is supposed to remind us of our Baptism. And so when I bless myself with Holy Water, I should be thinking of the fact that I am a child of God; that I have been redeemed by the Cross of Christ; that I have been made a member of God’s family; and that I have been washed, forgiven, cleansed and purified by the Blood of the Lamb.

2) Jesus’ baptism reminds us of our mission : a) to experience the presence of God within us , to acknowledge our own dignity as God’s children and to appreciate the Divine Presence in others by honoring them, loving them and serving them in all humility; b) to live as the children of God in thought, word and action so that our Heavenly Father may say to each one of us what He said to Jesus: "You are My beloved son/daughter with whom I am well pleased.” It means that we are to let His thoughts direct our thoughts, His mind control our mind, His concerns be our concerns. In the Church we all share the same intimate connection with Christ; we are all brothers and sisters in Christ; c) to lead a holy and transparent Christian life and not to desecrate our bodies (the temples of the Holy Spirit and members of Jesus' Body) by impurity, injustice, intolerance, jealousy or hatred; d) to accept both the good and the bad experiences of life as the gifts of a loving Heavenly Father for our growth in holiness; e) to grow daily in intimacy with God by personal and family prayers, by reading the Word of God, by participating in the Holy Mass, and by frequenting the Sacrament of Reconciliation; and f ) to be co-creators with God in building up the “Kingdom of God” on earth, a Kingdom of compassion, justice and love, and to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In other words, He has called us to help others to see, through the love that we show and the help that we give, that God loves them, that He also invites them to be His sons and daughters and that He wants to be their helper and strength through all the troubles that life in this world can bring.

3) This is the day for us to remember the graces we have received in Baptism and to renew our Baptismal promises : On the day of our Baptism, as Pope St. John Paul II explains, "We were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens, the sign of Christ's gentle strength, to fight against evil. Blessed water was poured over us, an effective sign of interior purification through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We were then anointed with Chrism to show that we were thus consecrated in the image of Jesus, the Father's Anointed One. The candle lighted from the Paschal Candle was a symbol of the light of Faith which our parents and godparents must have continually safeguarded and nourished with the life-giving grace of the Spirit." This is also a day for us to renew our Baptismal promises, consecrating ourselves to the Holy Trinity and “rejecting Satan and all his empty promises," which our profane world is constantly offering us through its mass-media of communication. Let us ask Our Lord today to make us faithful to our Baptismal promises. Let us thank Him for the privilege of being joined to His mission of preaching the "Good News" by our transparent Christian lives of love, mercy, service and forgiveness.

Exegetical notes on today’s scripture readings

First Reading, optional in year C: Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11

The people of Israel spent sixty years in exile, as captives of the Babylonians, from about 600 BC to 540 BC. The second part of the book of Isaiah, chapters 40-55, prophesies the end of this Exile and the return of the captives to their homeland. Today's first reading begins that section. Isaiah says that God has told him to tell the exiled citizens of Jerusalem that their "sentence" is at an end or their exile is over. Isaiah’s prophecy reminds them plainly that the Exile was a punishment for their sins, but tells them that the merciful God has forgiven them. The next few sentences of today’s reading describe how the exiles are to return home. They will return as a grand religious procession from Babylon to Jerusalem led by their own God. To pave the way, valleys and mountains are to be leveled, and a highway created in the wilderness. The exiles in the region are coming back to Judah, and within Judah, to the city of Jerusalem, and within Jerusalem, to the hill Zion where their Temple had stood. The last paragraph presents a lonely sentry who never went to Babylon but waited in Jerusalem, always looking out for the return of the exiles. He finally sees the approach of the procession described above, and he can't contain his joy. He shouts it from the highest hill, " Here comes your God with power!"

Second reading: Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7: The author of this letter wants his Christian followers to behave properly, not to earn God's love, but in response to that love freely given. The birth of Jesus, the wise men’s discovery of him, Jesus’ baptism and his coming again in glory are all treated in Scripture and in our liturgy as unexpected appearances (Epiphanies) of God among us. So, the Letter to Titus applies to our Baptism the themes of Divine appearance and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which is borrowed from Jesus' own baptism. Today’s selection combines two sections, both of which we recently read at Christmas, one at midnight and one at dawn. In this passage, St. Paul teaches how God saves us by incorporating us into Christ. Among the congregation served by the early bishop Titus were Christians who believed they had to practice the laws of Judaism and tried to impose those laws on pagan converts to Christ. Paul reminds them that God saved us " not because of any righteous deeds we had done, but because of His mercy." In other words, those law-driven righteous deeds don't win our salvation, but God gives it freely. We accept that gift by taking the bath of rebirth, when the Spirit is richly poured out on us. It is this, not our observance of laws, that makes us justified (right with God) and that give us the hope of eternal life.

Gospel exegesis : Who baptized Jesus and why? While there is no doubt that John baptized Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, he does it reluctantly in Matthew’s Gospel (3:13-17), and he’s already locked up in prison in Luke’s Gospel (3:20). There is no portrayal of John baptizing Jesus in John’s Gospel; all we have is the testimony of the Baptizer (1:29-34). Because each evangelist after Mark, commonly accepted as the oldest Gospel, tries to tone down or erase Jesus’ baptism by John, we must conclude that the event caused a problem near the end of the first century because many were saying that John must be the greater, since he did the baptizing. By gradually removing John from the scene, Matthew and Luke elevate Jesus. But there is little doubt that John the Baptist baptized Jesus; if he hadn’t, Matthew and Luke wouldn’t have rewritten Mark’s story. Jesus presents himself for John’s baptism in today’s Gospel, not because he is a sinner, but to fulfill the word of God proclaimed by His prophets. He must be baptized to reveal that he is the Christ (“anointed one”) - the Spirit-endowed Servant. “In Baptism, all are anointed with that same Spirit, made beloved sons and daughters of God. Indeed, we are Christians - literally “anointed ones.” (Scott Hann).

“Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness ” What this means has prompted much debate. It may be that Jesus was “fulfilling” all the scriptural prophecies about him which focused on “righteousness.” It may be that he was seen as validating the rite of baptism for all future generations of Christians. Or it may be that even the Messiah could undergo a re-orientation towards perfect righteousness, and so could repent and be baptized.

“This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased” Mark and Luke have the words addressed to Jesus, “ You are my Son….” But Matthew’s “ This is my Son” makes the words relevant to the bystanders because they are an open testimony to the Father’s approval of his Son … and we should view “Son” as a Messianic title. The Heavenly Voice points to a relationship shared by no other. It is significant, it is “good news,” that Jesus hears he is the “beloved Son, with whom [God] is well pleased” before his public ministry begins. The Heavenly Father is much pleased with his Son's humble submission and speaks audibly and directly to him for all to hear: “ You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased .” The Holy Spirit, too, is present as Jesus submits to John's baptism. The Holy Spirit anoints Jesus for his ministry which begins that day as Jesus rises from the waters of the Jordan River.

Significance of Christ’s baptism : This exalted identity of the “Son of God” revealed at his baptism is the starting point for all that Jesus will undertake—his self-giving ministry, death and Resurrection. It is because Jesus knows Who he is that he does as he does. As we begin Ordinary Time, we do so knowing that, in our own Baptism, God has named us beloved sons and daughters. Like Jesus, all that we undertake must flow from who we are—God’s beloved. We are called to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This means that we, too, must humbly submit ourselves to God's wise and loving plan for our lives. He, in turn, anoints us with the Holy Spirit that we may be clothed with His power and grace. According to the Navarre Bible commentary, in Christ's baptism we can find a reflection of the way the Sacrament of Baptism affects a person. Christ's baptism was the exemplar of our own. In it the mystery of the Blessed Trinity was revealed, and the faithful, on receiving Baptism, are consecrated by the invocation of and by the power of the Blessed Trinity. Similarly, Heaven’s opening signifies that the power, the effectiveness, of this Sacrament comes from above, from God, and that the baptized have the road to Heaven opened up for them, a road which Original Sin had closed. Jesus's prayer after His baptism teaches us that "after Baptism man needs to pray continually in order to enter Heaven; for though sins are remitted through Baptism, there still remains the inclination to sin which assails us from within, and also the flesh and the devil which assails us from without.” Each time we dip our hand into the Holy Water font in a church to bless ourselves, we need to remember, that act is a renewal of our Baptism. Just like Jesus at the Jordan, every baptized believer is formed and called by God, empowered with the presence of the Spirit and elevated as a beloved child of God on whom God’s favor rests. (Prepared by Fr. Antony Kadavil)

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Water Baptism

Other essays.

Water baptism is an ordinance or sacrament instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ, to be practiced until the end of the age, which signifies a believer’s union with Christ in his life, death, burial, and resurrection, and one’s membership in the church, God’s new covenant people.

This article will discuss the importance of water baptism as an ordinance or sacrament of the church. After discussing different views of baptism within historical theology, it will turn to what the New Testament says is the meaning and significance of baptism. The article will conclude on a couple of reflections of where evangelicals agree and disagree on the meaning of baptism.

Christian Baptism is one of the two ordinances or sacraments which our Lord Jesus Christ, the head of the church, has instituted for the church’s life and health, until the end of the age. As such, water baptism is to be practiced today in obedience to his command (Matt. 28:18-20).

In Scripture, the purpose of baptism is at least twofold: a sign of initiation and entrance into the church, which should precede one’s participation in the Lord’s Supper, and a declaration of faith and surrender to Christ’s lordship. The New Testament does not know of a Christian who is also not baptized. Evidence for this is found in the book of Acts. From Pentecost on, everyone who believed the gospel was baptized, thus publicly testifying of their faith in Christ (Acts 2:41; 8:12-13, 36-39; 9:17-18; 10:47-48; 16:14-15, 31-33; 18:8; 19:5). The church fails in her calling when she does not make disciples, by baptizing them and instructing them in the truth of the gospel.

But a legitimate question arises: What exactly is baptism? Anyone familiar with historical theology knows that disagreements over the meaning of baptism, its proper subjects, and its mode have a long history. Given these debates, we must not relegate baptism to a secondary issue. Baptism is commanded by our Lord and is a visible proclamation of the gospel. Also, underneath baptismal debates are crucial biblical-theological issues. Baptismal polemics reflect entire theological systems. They function as test cases for how one puts together the Bible, especially how one understands the nature of salvation and the relationships between the biblical covenants. Before we describe the basic meaning of water baptism, let’s first describe a spectrum of views regarding it, with some views being more consistent with the gospel than others.

Views of Water Baptism

First, there is the sacramental view of baptism reflected by Roman Catholicism. This view argues that the act of baptism regenerates the person being baptized from spiritual death to life (infants and adults), even apart from faith in Christ ( ex opere operato , “by the work performed”), and it’s necessary for our salvation. The act of baptism removes the person’s original sin, makes them spiritually alive by the infusion of grace that begins the transforming process of making a person righteous. In this view, Christ has given authority to the church and her officers to effect saving grace in people through the administration of the sacraments, beginning in baptism and culminating in extreme unction.

A weaker sacramental view is taught by Lutheranism. Similar to Roman Catholicism, Lutherans argue that baptism regenerates a person, yet they insist that faith is necessary for God to justify the person who is baptized. Lutherans do not speak of an infused grace in the act of baptism; rather, by Word and sacrament God creates faith in the individual and makes them a living member of Christ’s church. For Lutherans, the subjects of baptism fall into two groups: believers who have come to faith in Christ, and infants, in whom God mysteriously creates an unconscious faith which they later confirm as they reach an age of maturity. Yet, in both cases, faith is present in the regenerative act of baptism and our justification before God.

Second , there is the covenantal view of baptism reflected by Reformed, covenant theology. This view denies that baptism is regenerative and that it’s effective in an ex opere operato way. Instead, baptism, which, under the new covenant replaces circumcision as a covenant sign, is similar to circumcision in what both signify. Both signify God’s “sign and seal” of his covenant promises that those who believe the gospel will be justified. Baptism objectively brings a person (infants and adults) into the visible church, at least, in the case of infants, in the sense that they are “in” the covenant, but not necessarily “of” it. Baptism does not effect a saving union in itself. It’s only by God’s grace, the Spirit making us alive and granting us faith and repentance, that we experience true salvation—the reality to which baptism points. That is why, parallel to the Old Testament, even if infants are baptized under the new covenant and considered covenant members, they are only truly the elect (and part of the invisible church) if they exercise saving faith in Christ.

Third , there is the view of believers’ baptism as reflected in Baptist and the believers’ church tradition. In agreement with the covenant view, this view denies that baptism is regenerative and necessary for salvation. Yet, unlike the covenant view, baptism is only to be applied to believers. Baptism is not merely a sign and seal of God’s promises that anticipates one’s faith in Christ. Instead, baptism is an outward sign of an inward spiritual reality that the believer has already experienced by faith in Christ. Baptism, in contrast to circumcision, does not point forward to the need for a circumcision of the heart. Rather, baptism is a new covenant sign that communicates the grace of God to those who have been regenerated and thus have faith in Christ . Baptism is a public testimony that one has entered into faith union with Christ, and it marks and defines those who believe in Christ. That is why baptism is only to be applied to those who confess Jesus as Lord, who have experienced his power, who are, by faith and spiritual rebirth, Abraham’s true spiritual seed. Baptism is a new covenant rite for the new covenant people of God.

Meaning and Significance of Water Baptism

Much could be written regarding the meaning and significance of baptism. Moreover, it’s at this point that major differences surface between baptismal views. However, let’s think through what baptism is by unpacking four truths, which must be affirmed to be true to the New Testament teaching.

First, baptism is one of the primary means God has given the church to declare publicly our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. Is this not part of what is going on at Pentecost in Peter’s exhortation to the people who cry from their hearts, “What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)? Peter has just demonstrated that the coming of the Spirit in power is evidence that redemption has been accomplished; that Jesus is Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36); and that the promised new age from the Old Testament has now finally arrived (Joel 2:28-32; Ezek. 36:25-27; Jer. 31:31-34). What response is necessary from the people? It is repentance and baptism, administered in the name of Jesus, signifying a person’s submission to Christ as Lord (Acts 2:38). This truth is important, especially today when altar calls, confirmation, public rallies, and so on, have taken the place of baptism in our public confession of Christ. Baptism beautifully and powerfully pictures our submission to Christ and the truth of the gospel, which no subsequent church rite can replace.

Second, central to the meaning of Christian baptism, in contrast to Jewish proselyte baptism or John’s baptism, is that it signifies a believer’s union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-7; Col. 2:11-12) and all the benefits that are entailed by that union. For this reason, in the New Testament baptism is regarded as an outward sign that signifies an inward reality, namely that a believer has entered into the realities of the new covenant that Jesus inaugurated and sealed with his own blood on the cross. As such, when received in faith, baptism signifies Spirit-wrought regeneration (Titus 3:5), inward cleansing, renewal, and forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16; 1Cor. 6:11; Eph. 5:25-27), and the abiding presence of the Spirit as God’s seal testifying and guaranteeing that the believer will permanently be kept secure in Christ (1Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14). In fact, so close is the association between baptism and new covenant blessings in Christ, many have argued that in the New Testament, baptism functions by metonymy for the entire conversion experience.

For example, in Galatians 3:26-27, Paul can say: “For in Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” The language of “putting on” Christ refers to our union with him. But note how Paul can ascribe union with Christ both to faith (v. 26) and to baptism (v. 27). He does so, not by affirming an ex opere operato view of baptism, since Paul is referring to people who have repented of their sins and believed in Christ. It’s only the truly converted who have put on Christ. But, by metonymy, baptism can stand for conversion, and thus an outward sign that signifies this fact.

We find something similar in Romans 6:1-4. Paul sees water baptism as uniting the believer to Christ in his redemptive acts—his life, death, burial, and resurrection. No doubt, in this text, Paul is not primarily giving a theological explanation of the nature of baptism. Instead, Paul is concerned to rebut the charge that the believer should “remain in sin” to highlight grace. He uses the language of “realm transfer” to show how inconceivable this suggestion is. Christians, Paul insists, have “died to sin” (v. 2b) and thus are no longer “in Adam” but are “in Christ.” Yet, Paul can say that this realm transfer occurred in our baptism (v. 3), by which we were united to Christ. Again, Paul is not affirming that the act of baptism unites us to Christ apart from faith. Rather, as in Galatians 3:26-27, baptism is shorthand for our entire conversion experience. By itself, baptism does not effect regeneration, nor is it even necessary for salvation. In the New Testament baptism always assumes faith for its validity, and true saving faith leads to being baptized although faith and baptism do not enjoy the same logical status of necessity (cf. Eph. 4:5; 1Pet. 3:21).

Third , water baptism signifies a believer’s entrance into the church. In Galatians 3:27-28, for example, Paul can immediately move from “putting on” Christ in baptism to how we are one in Christ’ body. Or in Ephesians 4:22-25, Paul can use the baptismal imagery of “putting on” and “putting off” to speak of the kind of behavior we should have as individuals and as “members of one body” (v. 25), certainly a reference to the church. Baptism, then, is the defining mark of belonging, as well as a demarcation from the world (cf. Acts 2:40-41). Thus, in baptism, not only does Christ appropriate to himself the one who is baptized in his name and incorporate him into his body, but the person who is baptized also openly identifies with the Lord and his people.

Fourth , water baptism is a promise and glorious anticipation of the fact that all things will be consummated by Christ. Although there are a number of questions surrounding John’s baptism, one thing is clear: John’s baptism was an eschatological ceremony, anticipating the coming of the Messiah, the kingdom of God, and the entire new covenant era. Christian baptism is also eschatological, but, in contrast to John’s baptism, what John anticipated and pointed to, has now come in Christ. Christian baptism, then, signifies that the believer has entered into the dawning of the new creation and the new covenant due to our union in Christ. This is why Paul can say: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2Cor. 5:17). As such, water baptism looks backwards and forwards: backwards to the inauguration of the new age in Christ’s first coming, and forward to the consummation at his return. By baptism, we participate in these realities. In truth, baptism is our entry into the eschatological order of the new creation that we now experience due to our covenantal union with Christ and being sealed with the Spirit for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).

Agreement and Disagreement on Baptism

Certainly more could be said regarding the meaning and significance of baptism, but these four truths highlight much of the New Testament ’s teaching regarding it. Evangelicals across a wide spectrum of denominational affiliation should agree on these basic points. For example, we ought to agree that every Christian should be baptized in obedience to God; that baptism is the sign of the gospel realities of union with Christ and all the benefits of new covenant; that baptism is tied to our incorporation into the church; and that the act of baptism, against the ex opere operato view of Roman Catholicism, does not regenerate. Instead, baptism is effective only by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone.

However, a point of division still remains, especially between the covenantal and believer’s baptism view. Since baptism is not effective apart from faith, why should we baptize infants? Obviously, the divide over this issue is vast and a resolution of it is probably not forthcoming soon, and the reason why is important. Ultimately, the dispute is not over a few texts, but entire biblical-theological arguments, especially one’s view of the relationship between the covenants.

Those who advocate infant (paedo)baptism admit that although there is no explicit command in the New Testament to baptize infants, the practice is still warranted. Why? For the following reason: (1) There is an essential continuity of “the covenant of grace” from Abraham to Christ. (2) Since infants were included in the old covenant by circumcision as an outward sign of entrance into the covenant community, and baptism has replaced circumcision in the new covenant, then believing parents are required to administer baptism to their children. (3) In the old covenant, circumcision did not entail that the child was one of the elect; they still needed to exercise faith to know their election. So in the new covenant, baptism does not guarantee that children are the elect, but it’s still required to administer the covenant sign to them prior to faith. (4) Support for the practice of baptizing infants is found in the household baptisms in the New Testament.

On the other side, those who affirm a believers’ baptism argue the following: (1) Baptism is only effectual by faith in Christ, hence the New Testament pattern of the proclamation of the gospel, conversion, and then baptism of believers. (2) No doubt there is continuity between the old and new covenants due to the one plan of God, but there is also a lot of discontinuity as well. For example, under the old covenant, there is necessarily a distinction between the locus of the covenant community and the locus of the elect, with circumcision being the sign of the former. Yet, under the new covenant this distinction has been removed. By definition, those who are in the new covenant are those who have had God’s law written on their hearts, been born of the Spirit and forgiven of their sins (Jer. 31:31-34), and as such, the church, as God’s new covenant people is a regenerate community. This truth suggests that baptism, as the sign of the new covenant, is only to be applied to those who are in the new covenant, i.e., believers. (3) Circumcision, under the Abrahamic and old covenants do not signify the same realities as baptism does under the new covenant. (4) The examples of household baptisms are arguments from silence and they fail to see the covenantal distinctions between the old and the new. In fact, when we look at the examples closely, we see that in a number of them there are indications of saving faith on the part of all those baptized.

So where does this leave us? It leaves us with honest discussion about the differences among us but also emphasizing what unites us in the gospel. No doubt, infant and believers’ views of baptism are not simultaneously right, and given the importance of baptism the establishment of local churches and denominations that teach one of the views to the exclusion of the other is necessary, given our commitment to biblical authority. Yet, we must also never lose sight of what unites us. We have to find ways of showing our unity in Christ while not downplaying our differences. In fact, we must find unity in that to which baptism points, namely the glory of Christ and the truth of the gospel of God’s sovereign grace. Despite ongoing differences, more than anything else, this is what must captivate our thinking, our lives, and our churches.

February 18, 2024 Essay: Reflections Upon Baptism and Service

[This First Sunday of Lent, our Parish celebrates two Rites for 22 adults: the Rite of Sending (for those preparing for baptism) and the Call to Continuing Conversion (for our already baptized candidates). Then at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the afternoon, Cardinal Timothy Dolan welcomes the catechumens and accepts their desire to be baptized into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. This essay is written by Wayne Weddington, who was received into the Church in 2022.]

I have always felt that God has been with me, an always-present whisper of encouragement and guidance for as long as I can remember. After joining RCIA, God’s presence was confirmed to me through our readings from the Bible, our textbook, and other prayers that we prayed together. I did not always call the Word, God. I am not certain what I called God before this journey, but I knew God was there. Each week’s readings spoke to me, and the voice seemed familiar.

At one point during this RCIA journey to Christ, we were asked to reflect on what we desire from God’s Church. I said: “To affirm that the Lord Jesus Christ has always been, and forever is, my companion and Savior.”

In reading the Gospels, I came to love the tacit emphasis of what I call the “low barrier to entry.” God’s Kingdom is immanently accessible. ANYONE can enter, no matter where one has been or how lost or damaged one’s GPS may be. The principles of love for one another, forgiveness, redemption, humility—and the recognition that we are all imperfect—bring us closer to God. The joy of God’s love is available to anyone who seeks it. God’s love is still there even if one does not seek it (perhaps that “guiding whisper”).

I am particularly grateful and proud to have completed the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at St. Ignatius Loyola. I felt I had been called. I was deeply grateful to hear about the experiences of others in our group. Finding Christ is such a personal journey; no one person has precisely the same calling or reason for living.

And yet, here we stood together, well-aligned on the path to God. It has been a gift to experience integration through self-examination in and through Christ the Word and the Holy Spirit. At the Easter Vigil, I could not wait to experience the baptismal water on my head. I let it run down my face. I was reluctant to wipe it away. Amen! Hallelujah! I rejoice.

Now today, I am thrilled to be a member of the Ministry of Hospitality and a Lector. It is a responsibility and a joy to ‘touch’ my fellow parishioners on their way to receiving the Eucharist at Mass. Some are burdened, others happy, some simply curious or sad, but we are all there, convened, to experience Christ and to offer our connection with Him and offer prayers for one another. The Hospitality Ministry deepens my connection to the Body of Christ, and the honor of being a Lector enables me to learn the Scripture in a tangible way. It is also a great responsibility and honor to participate in the worship of my fellow parishioners. The parish response to the Readings, in unison, “Thanks be to God,” always moves me.

I think of the Mass as a celebration . . . that Christ is among us and that the Holy Spirit lives in each and every one of us. I look forward to every Mass, the Scripture Readings, the Gospel, and homily as if they are rays of Light. If you see me smiling at Mass, it is because, well, I am happy. As we begin Lent and walk toward the Cross and Resurrection, I truly treasure this journey.

— Wayne P. Weddington III, Hospitality Minister and Lector

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A reflection on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

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COMMENTS

A Reflection on My First Baptism Experience
The spoken prayer is, "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. " At the end of the baptism, the original sin is washed away and the child can now begin their new life as a Catholic. So, I want to share with of my experience in the "My First Baptism Experience Essay" paper. writers online.
Reflection on Baptism
Let us continue our reflection on Baptism, always in the light of the Word of God. The Gospel enlightens the candidates and elicits the response of faith: "Indeed Baptism is 'the sacrament of faith' in a particular way, since it is the sacramental entry into the life of faith" ( Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1236).
Personal Reflection
Baptism is the first Sacrament and symbolic of starting a new life with God. The symbolic factor of water is not lost on me. I have been christened and remember the event clearly in my mind as I was 16 and chose for it to happen. I could see, hear and feel the water all around me. I could hear the words being said and when I rose up out of the ...
PDF Reflection on Baptism
Reflection on Baptism. Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons and daughters of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church, and ...
Baptism: Theological Reflections
Here, I hope to help us think a bit more deeply about the theological picture that baptism paints. A Brief Theology of Baptism. First, baptism is the means by which those who believe in Jesus identify with God. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commands his disciples to baptize believers "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy ...
What Is Baptism and How Important Is It?
Baptism dramatically portrays what happened spiritually when you received Christ: Your old self of unbelief and rebellion and idolatry died, and a new you of faith and submission and treasuring Christ came into being. That's what you confess to the world and to heaven when you are baptized. 3. Immersed in Water.
A Personal Reflection on Baptism
A Personal Reflection on Baptism. One of the most beautiful aspects of the Easter season is the celebration of the sacraments of initiation. It is a highlight of the Easter Vigil welcoming new believers at the font for Baptism or completing the sacraments of initiation through Confirmation and Holy Communion. These sacred mysteries are what the ...
The Baptism of Jesus
According to the biblical doctrine of the Trinity, each person of the Trinity is fully God. Jesus is God, as John 1:1 affirms. God the Son is always in intimate fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The three persons are one God, and they indwell each other.
Baptism of Jesus prompts reflection on our own baptism
Baptism of Jesus prompts reflection on our own baptism. Baptism of Jesus. After Jesus was baptised…a voice came from the heavens, saying: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.". Matthew 3, 13-17. In the first of his three volumes, all entitled Table Talk, scripture commentator and theologian, Jay Cormier (no relation to ...
Chapter 3
This reflection is based on the Rite of Baptism for Children, but the symbolism and meaning applies to adults who are baptized also. Beginning at the Entrance of the Church: ... Rite of Baptism: The essential part of Baptism is the pouring, sprinkling or immersion with water. While the water touches the person, the Trinitarian formula is said ...
Reflection: Baptism
We are already glorified with Christ because we have been baptized into his life, death, and resurrection. In the same letter, Saint Paul goes on to urge, "if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his." 13. This is not just about Christ.
Three Reflections on Baptism
Here are 3 things I think we should call our people's attention to as they observe baptism as we seek to instruct them in the faith: When you witness a baptism, reflect on your own - When we observe baptisms (and hear their testimonies before they enter the water) we should reflect on our own baptism and testimony.
Guided Reflection on Our Baptismal Promises
Guided Reflection on Our Baptismal Promises. by Joe Paprocki, D.Min. Printer Friendly. Lead a reflection on our baptismal promises with the young people in your group. This may be a part of Confirmation preparation sessions or any session focusing on the Sacrament of Baptism. Prepare to share the reflection by reading it through beforehand.
Reflection Paper On Baptism
Reflection Paper On Baptism. The Baptism as experience and encounter in my Christian initiation has helped me to think intentionally in reason and my mystical process experiencing my life, my spirituality, my surround, my ministry, and my time of Sabbath to being in balance with myself and reality. Making this analysis of my Christian ...
Reflection Paper On Baptismism
Reflection Paper On Baptismism. Decent Essays. 801 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. I begin preparation about two weeks prior to sermon date of September 19. Using the 2017 Official United Methodist Program Calendar I found that I had originally chosen to continue the Romans theme as in my past three weeks, so going off lectionary, with Romans 14 ...
111 Baptism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
To help you get started, here are 111 baptism essay topic ideas and examples that cover a wide range of perspectives and themes. The significance of baptism in Christianity. Analyzing the symbolism of water in baptism. The historical development of baptism in the early Christian church. The differences between infant baptism and believer's baptism.
Reflections for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Life messages: 1) The baptism of Jesus reminds us of our identity and mission . First, it reminds us of who we are and Whose we are. By Baptism we become the adoptive sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, heirs of Heaven and temples of the Holy Spirit.
A reflection for the Baptism of the Lord
Reflection: Dare to dream big. Today we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord. The Christmas season has ended. It is a transition, a turning point in the church year. We have set aside for another year the Christmas carols where we sing of the "holy infant, so tender and mild.". We have put away nativity sets in our homes and churches.
A reflection for the baptism of the Lord
Reflection: Share in the work of God. On Holy Saturday, adults wearing white clothes wait with unlit candles in hand. They will be lit during the Christian ritual of initiation of adults, when adults are readied for full initiation into the church through baptism, confirmation, and first communion. Families, friends, and the assembly of God's ...
Water Baptism
Water baptism is an ordinance or sacrament instituted by Jesus which signifies a believer's union with Christ and one's membership in the church. ... The article will conclude on a couple of reflections of where evangelicals agree and disagree on the meaning of baptism. ... This essay is part of the Concise Theology series. All views ...
February 18, 2024 Essay: Reflections Upon Baptism and Service
February 18, 2024 Essay: Reflections Upon Baptism and Service. [This First Sunday of Lent, our Parish celebrates two Rites for 22 adults: the Rite of Sending (for those preparing for baptism) and the Call to Continuing Conversion (for our already baptized candidates). Then at St. Patrick's Cathedral in the afternoon, Cardinal Timothy Dolan ...
A reflection on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Jesus' Baptism was intentional, and a bit of a dialogue between John and Jesus ensued, concluding with the Spirit of God descending upon him after his Baptism and identifying him as God's "beloved son.". In John's Gospel, John the Baptist himself testifies that Jesus "is the Son of God (John 1:34).". Jesus.
Reflective Essay On Baptism
Reflective Essay On Baptism. 865 Words2 Pages. Recommended: theological significance of Baptism. Baptism is important in my Church's beliefs. We believe that immersion by water from a true believer is a Bible baptism. Baptism is a symbolic of the death of Christ, the burial and his resurrection. We also believe that it is symbolic and that ...