New birth, a new beginning in life

The Baptism of the Lord -Year C

If you ever get the chance to visit my parish, Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Klang, you would notice that the baptismal font has become a permanent fixture in the sanctuary. If you come close and have a look at the baptismal font from the top, you would realised that it takes the shape of an octagon. I think that many Malaysians would easily associate the octagonal shape to the Chinese custom of hanging an octagonal shaped mirror above their door post – it serves the dual purpose of warding off evil entities as well as channelling and welcoming good health and fortune. Well, the shape of the baptismal font doesn’t serve the same function. Thank God!

For Jews the number eight symbolised salvation, rebirth and regeneration: eight members of Noah's family were saved in the time of the Great Flood and it was on the eighth day of his life that a male child was circumcised, signifying his entrance into the covenant family of Israel, the chosen people of God.  But for early Christians eighth came to be associated with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the formation of the New Covenant.  Jesus was raised on the day after the seventh day, which was the Sabbath, making Jesus’ Resurrection on the eighth day. Therefore, Sunday, the first day of the week, is also the day of the New Creation just as the old Creation also began on what is the first day of the week.  St Augustine called Sunday, “the Day of the Lord,” as “an everlasting eighth day.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the significance of the number 8 for Christians in article # 349: “The eighth day.  But for us a new day has dawned: the day of Christ's Resurrection.  The seventh day completes the first creation.  The eight day begins the new creation.  Thus, the work of creation culminates in the greater work of redemption.  The first creation finds its meaning and its summit in the new creation in Christ, the splendour of which surpasses that of the first creation.”

But the resurrection of Christ has not only brought about a new day with its new light. We too have become a new creation. How did this come about? Through the sacrament of baptism and the profession of faith, the Lord has built a bridge across to us, through which the new day reaches us. The Lord says to the newly-baptised: Fiat lux — let there be light. God’s new day — the day of indestructible life, comes also to us. Christ takes you by the hand. From now on you are held by him and walk with him into the light, into real life.

Baptism is something quite different from an act of ecclesial socialisation, from a slightly old-fashioned and complicated rite for receiving people into the Church. It is more than becoming part of a community. Baptism is also more than a simple washing, more than a kind of purification and beautification of the soul. It is a new birth. A new beginning in life. It is a new creation! It is truly death and resurrection, rebirth, transformation to a new life. Therefore, in baptism we experience what St Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me!” St Paul can say this with so much conviction because in Baptism we give ourselves over to Christ — he takes us unto himself, so that we no longer live for ourselves, but through him, with him and in him; so that we live with him and thus for others.

Baptism, then, makes us new creatures, it bestows on us the blessings promised to Abraham, it releases us from the slavery of sin and brings us into new life, it brings us into the new wedding covenant between God and his people redeemed in Christ, it quenches our spiritual thirst for God, it gives the wisdom that enlightens our path to God, it purifies us and gives us a new heart and a new spirit, it crucifies our old self and our sinful body and raises us up from the dead, and, finally, it is our share in Christ’s death, in his victory over death and in his resurrection.

Today the church celebrates the baptism of Our Lord. Instead of torrential rains and floods, instead of destructive fire and brimstone, we hear the voice of God the Father and we see a glimpse of the most profound mystery of faith, the innermost centre of God’s life, the manifestation of the Most Holy Trinity. No, not fire and brimstone, not a flood, but a dove, a sign of peace, divine forgiveness and reconciliation. Not a booming voice of God announcing the wrath and judgment of God over sinful humanity but an affirming voice of love and paternal charity. “You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.”

So what did the tearing apart of heaven reveal? First, it revealed that there is no longer an impassable barrier that separates man from God. This the amazing good news that we heard on Christmas day and is now manifested to the world at the Baptism of the Lord. Jesus is the sign of God’s conciliation. He is truly God’s righteous Beloved Son. True God and true man. God in man made manifest. It’s as if Jesus, the Beloved Son, the only one who could truly claim to be free from sin, holy and righteous, now stands in the gap between sinful humanity and a Just God. Instead of seeing the sinfulness of man, the real cause for the separation between God and man, God instead sees his righteous Son, the new Adam. Whatever cause for His divine displeasure and wrath, which is truly just, dissipates. His Beloved Son stands in the gap and shields humanity from the death, judgment and destruction it deserves. For the holy Son of God would take on himself the sins and the guilt of all mankind.

And so at our baptism, when we are united with the death and resurrection of Christ, God removes the barriers separating sinners from him and him from sinners so that mistakes, rebellion, guilt, and shame no longer keep people from God. Instead, we now share in that divine favour of being the beloved ones of God. God does all this because of his Son Jesus.

We’re here today because we know heaven is open. And the good news is that the tear has not been repaired. Heaven’s graces is still leaking, nay, it is still invading this earth. Now heaven is torn open when the heart of a sinner turns from sin to grace. Now heaven is torn open when the Word of God is read. Now heaven is torn open every time a baby or adult is baptised. Heaven is torn open each time we come before the Lord’s altar and receive the body and blood of Jesus in His holy Sacrament. Heaven is open, and God gives us His Holy Spirit. And because Jesus is our Saviour and has washed away our sins and made us His brothers and sisters, our God says about us, “You are My son, or My daughter, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” And when we die, we will truly see heaven torn open as God’s holy angels come down to escort our spirits into His presence – until the day heaven is really torn open, when our Saviour comes in His glory with all His holy angels to judge the earth.

The Significance of Water

The recent water rationing in several regions in Malaysia has forced us to realise the importance of water and using it wisely.  Many of us know that next to air (oxygen), water is the most essential element to human life. Water is essential to the functioning of every single cell and organ system in the human body. We can conclude that water is a necessary element for life. The body usually cannot survive longer than several days without water. Most of us couldn't say how long someone can survive without eating or drinking, although we know that a person can go a lot longer without food than without water. So, what are the significance of water in our Christian life? 

Water plays a major role in the Jewish and also Christian story of faith. You might recall one of the most significant events in Jewish history was when God led the Hebrews out from the land of slavery and go through the Red Sea to escape from the Egyptians. Through God's actions, the Hebrew passed unharmed through the water while the Egyptians who followed were destroyed. Christians re-enact this event at baptism when we go under the water to die to sin in order to be reborn into new life as children of God. Thirsting for water is a frequent biblical theme, appearing numerous times throughout the Bible. Sometimes this refers to thirsting for water, but many other times the reference to thirst and the only water that can quench it describes the human longing for God. Just as the parched person thirsts for  water, the human spirit thirsts for God's grace. Only God can provide this necessity. 

Thirst appears in the Old Testament, Exodus 17:3. As the Hebrews fled Egypt and  traveled across the desert,  they complained that God rejected them, leaving them to die in an arid land with no water. “Why then did you bring us up out of Egypt? To have us die of thirst with our children and our livestock?”In Judges 15:18, Samson, after working hard to slay the enemies of the Hebrews, cries out for water so that he will not die of thirst. For the Hebrews in the desert, and for Samson, their thirst is a sign that God has abandoned them, their longing for water a sign of their doubt in God’s faithfulness. 

In both cases, God miraculously provided saving water to quench this thirst. Stories such as these can be found throughout the Bible, which is, in many ways, a testament to both human lack of trust and the faithfulness of God. The psalms are rich in imagery describing how longing for God is similar to thirsting for water. We hear the phrases, “My soul thirsts for God, the living God,” from Psalm 42:3 and in Psalm 63:2, “For you my soul thirsts, in a land parched, lifeless, and without water.” Unless one lives in an area with limited rainfall, these passages might have little meaning. Yet we've all been thirsty at one point or another and can understand the desperation of something to drink when we’ve gone without water for a while. When there is plenty of water and everything is lush and green, we think little of water. However, when water is limited, we learn its importance. 

The image of a parched land is telling in a number of ways. First, plants will not grow in very dry soil. Second, the soil itself is at risk. Sometimes it cracks and won’t absorb water, and at other times it breaks into small particles of dust and blows away. Both images describe effectively what happens to the human spirit without God.  Isaiah 41:17 offers a wonderful image: “The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the wilderness into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water.” 

In the beatitudes Jesus proclaims, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” 

In Matthew 25, Jesus announces that those who give drink to the thirsty give drink to him, and thus will be found righteous. Here we see the act of caring for those in need, especially of giving water to those who thirst. Giving this type of water is considered a God-like act. When we do simple things for others, we do what God would do. 

In the Gospel of John (4:13-15) Jesus proclaims himself the living water and those who drink of the kind of water he offers to the world will never thirst again. In John 6:35, Jesus repeats the message and says that “whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

The reference here is clear: Just as God provided water to the Hebrews in the desert, life-giving water now comes through Jesus, the Christ of whom Isaiah foretold. In today’s world it is all too easy to become spiritually parched and wait too long for water to quench our thirst. The Christian response to this is that water still flows abundantly for all who believe.

We are loved by God

Baptism of the Lord

Last week we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, which the word "epiphany" comes from the Greek "epiphainen", a verb that means "to shine upon", "to manifest", or "to make known", Thus, the feast of the Epiphany celebrates the many ways that Christ has made himself known to the world, mainly the three events that manifested the mission and divinity of Christ: the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11), and the miracle at Cana (John  2:1-11). The visit of the Magi is emphasized on Epiphany Day, and Christ's baptism is celebrated this coming Sunday.

At the first glance, the Baptism of the Lord might seem an odd feast. Since the Catholic Church teaches that the Sacrament of Baptism is necessary for the remission of sins, particularly Original Sin, Why did Jesus, the Sinless One, submit himself to John’s baptism? After all, He was born without Original Sin, and He lives His entire life without sinning. Therefore, He had no need of the sacrament, as we do.

In submitting Himself humbly to the baptism of St. John the Baptist, however, Christ provided the example for the rest of us. If even He should be baptized, though He had no need of it, how much more should the rest of us be thankful for this sacrament, which frees us from the darkness of sin and incorporates us into the Church, the life of Christ on earth! His Baptism, therefore, was necessary--not for Him, but for us.

Many of the Fathers of the Church, as well as the medieval Scholastics, saw Christ's Baptism as the institution of the sacrament. His Flesh blessed the water, and the descent of the Holy Spirit (in the form of a dove) and the voice of God the Father announcing that this was His Son, in Whom He was well pleased, marked the beginning of Christ's public ministry.

In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of the “baptism” of his bloody death upon the cross. He allowed himself to be numbered among sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death for the remission of our sins. Gregory of Nazianzus, a seventh century Church father tells us: “Let us be buried with Christ by Baptism to rise with him; let us go down with him to be raised with him; and let us rise with him to be glorified with him." Examine Jesus’ humility and ask the Holy Spirit to forge this same attitude in your heart. We are called to be “light” and “salt” to those around us. The Lord wants his love and truth to shine through us that others may see the goodness and truth of God’s message of salvation. Let us ask the Lord to fill us with his Holy Spirit that you may radiate the joy of the gospel to those around you.

Happiness is a gift from God. It is a gift freely given by God to those open to receive it. Happiness is knowing in the depths of one’s heart that one is truly loved by God. Happiness is knowing that we are loveable and that we are precious in the eyes of God. No matter how others may see us, no matter how others may judge us, nothing can change this single reality – we are loved by God.

This knowledge was the driving force behind Jesus. At his baptism, Jesus received this beautiful words from God the Father – “This is my Son, the Beloved, my favour rests on him.” Knowing that he was loved by his Father in heaven, Jesus began his mission to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God. Although he faced many setbacks, although he was criticized and hated by many people, although he was rejected by his own relatives and neighbours, although he was betrayed by his own disciples, Jesus never waivered in his resolve. Only one thing mattered to him – knowing that he was loved by God and nothing … absolutely nothing can change that. On the cross, in the midst of his pain and loneliness, Jesus was sustained by the knowledge of God’s love for him and that God will never abandon him at this moment of his greatest need.

This is what God wants to tell each of you: “You are my Son. You are my daughter. You are precious. I love you very much!!!” We don’t have to prove ourselves to God. We don’t have to show him that we are good or that we are perfect. God loves us in spite of our sins and weaknesses.

If we live each day with this knowledge of God’s love for us, we will not easily give up especially when we are faced with criticism from others. Whenever we celebrate the Mass, we are reminded again and again that we are loved by God. It was because of love, that God sent his only Son to die for us. Jesus, who gives his body and blood, is living proof of this. The mass is proof of God’s love. Because we are loved by God, let us now share this love with every other person.