Do we need to be reborn?

Do we need to be reborn? In his encounter with the Pharisee named Nicodemus, Jesus said: ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ (John 3:3) ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.’ (John 3:5) ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.’ (John 3:16)

Do we need to be reborn? One enters the new People of God, the Church, through faith and Baptism. ‘Baptism is birth into the new life in Christ. In accordance with the Lord’s will, it is necessary for salvation, as is the Church herself, which we enter by Baptism.’ ─Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], no. 1277 What possibilities for ‘new life’ does your Baptism offer you?

Do we need to be reborn? Through the graces of Baptism we can . . . resist the power of sin and live a new life in Christ; be truly free from the power of sin. The essential elements of the Rite of Baptism: The candidate is immersed into the water of the baptismal pool or font three times, or, in the case of an infant, is placed in the water and lifted out of it three times, or water is poured over the person’s head three times, as the minister invokes the Holy Trinity, praying, ‘I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’

The life-giving waters of Baptism The sacred authors of Scripture used the symbolism of water to point to God’s life-giving work in the world. At the well, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ —John 4:13–14 Baptism is the source of ‘new life in Christ from which the entire Christian life springs forth’ (CCC, no. 1254).

The life-giving waters of Baptism These Old Testament stories prefigure the Sacrament of Baptism: The first account of Creation: ‘. . . a wind from God swept over the face of the waters’ (Genesis 1:2). The wind represents the Spirit of God bringing forth creation and it prefigures the Holy Spirit bringing forth the new creation in Christ through water and the Spirit at Baptism. The Great Flood and Noah’s Ark: The Church reads this story as prefiguring the Church (the Ark) and the saving action of God in Baptism. As the flood waters led to a new beginning of goodness, the waters of Baptism conquer the power of sin and bring about newness of life in Christ. The Exodus: Crossing the waters of the Red Sea and the River Jordan prefigure our journey from slavery to sin to freedom and new life in Christ. Through the waters of Baptism, God liberates us from the slavery of Original Sin and personal sins.

Baptism in the early Church All four accounts of the Gospel speak of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. As he approached the banks of the Jordan River, Jesus asked John to baptize him. At first John refused, saying that it was Jesus who should be baptizing him. Jesus nevertheless persuaded John, and John baptized him. What stories and memories of your Baptism has your family shared with you?

Baptism in the early Church By his baptism, Jesus revealed his solidarity, or oneness, with humanity and the nature of his saving mission. The Son of God became incarnate in Jesus. He emptied himself in order to be fully one with humanity. He freely sacrificed his life on the Cross and suffered the death-bearing consequences of sin for the salvation of humanity.

Baptism in the early Church Baptism―the gift of new life in Christ Through Baptism we die with Christ and we receive the gift of new life in Christ. Through Baptism the Holy Trinity gifts us with the holiness that Adam and Eve lost by Original Sin. We receive the gift of sanctifying grace, which enables us to live with God and to act by his love.

Baptism in the early Church Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA): This is the title of the process designed to prepare adults for entrance into the Catholic Church by the reception of the Sacraments of [Christian] Initiation. ─United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCA), 525 Mystagogy: This is the period of time immediately after the reception of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. It is a time ‘for the community and the neophytes [those newly initiated into the Church] together to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it part of their lives through meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the Eucharist, and doing the works of charity. —Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults [RCIA], no. 244

We’ve only just begun The Baptism of infants and young children. . . Parents take on the responsibility of bringing up their children ‘in the practice of the faith . . . to keep God’s commandments as Christ taught us, by loving God and our neighbor’ (Rite of Baptism for Children). Godparents also accept the responsibility to play a pivotal role in the faith formation of their godchild. The Church requires that a godparent: be at least sixteen years old; be a Catholic who has received the Sacraments of Initiation; practices the Catholic faith; can be a role model in living as a disciple of Jesus.

St. Charles Lwanga (1865-86) and the Uganda Martyrs St. Charles Lwanga is the patron of youth in tropical Africa. Lwanga was one of twenty-two Catholic and Anglican martyrs who died for their faith in Uganda on June 3, 1886. Charles openly instructed others in the faith of the Catholic Church against the opposition of King Mwanga. The king summoned Charles and his companions and demanded that they deny their faith and give him their allegiance. Lwanga and the others refused and proclaimed their intention to remain Christian. King Mwanga reacted violently and condemned Lwanga and his companions to death by execution.

Who do you claim to be?

The Question of Identity Who do you claim to be? The Question of Identity The image we have of ourselves impacts our actions, words, attitudes and vision of life; how we treat ourselves and others. The fact that you have been baptized should shape your deepest sense of self-identity. Baptism seals, or marks, a person with the indelible identity of a Christian. How might you make your Christian identity more evident to others?

Who do you claim to be? The explanatory rites of Baptism are: Anointing with Sacred Chrism: A sign that the baptized are now numbered in the company of the People of God. Clothing with a White Garment: Signifies that the newly baptized have become a new creation ‘clothed’ in Christ. Presentation of a Lighted Candle: A reminder that the newly baptized have been ‘enlightened by Christ’ and are to ‘walk as lights in the world’, proclaiming Jesus, the Light of the world. Ephpheta, or Prayer Over the Ears and Mouth: A reminder that God nourishes the newly baptized to proclaim the Gospel.

Who do you claim to be? Baptism unites us to Jesus Christ, who is Priest, Prophet and King. Jesus Christ is the great High Priest and Mediator between God and humankind. Jesus is the final and greatest Prophet whom God sent to reveal what is and what is not of God’s reign. Jesus is the promised King or ruler, who leads God’s people to do God’s will on earth now, as it is done in Heaven. Jesus’ life and teaching and his Death and Resurrection show us the way to live with justice, compassion and peace by living the Great Commandment as he lived it.

Rights and responsibilities of the baptized The baptized have the right and responsibility to. . . Holiness of Life: includes the responsibility to lead a holy life and to worship and share in the spiritual riches of the Church; includes the right to a Christian education. Build up the Church, the Body of Christ: includes the responsibility to care for and promote the growth of the Church; includes the right to speak up on matters concerning the integrity and vitality of the Church. Proclaim the Gospel: includes the responsibility to spread the divine message of Salvation, promote social justice and help the poor from their own resources.

Rights and responsibilities of the baptized Our greatest baptismal right and responsibility is ‘to love’ as Jesus did. Jesus said: ‘Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’(John 13:34). Jesus taught us the Great Commandment: ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind . . . and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22: 36, 39) All the laws of the Church are written to guide us in living ‘the way’ Jesus commanded us to live; in other words, living the Great Commandment.

Adopted children of God the Father! God calls families to be images of the Divine Family, the Holy Trinity. Created in God’s image, families are to share life and love, both within the family and outside the family, as God does. In Baptism God embraces us with his love. In 1 John 3:1 we read: ‘See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.’ In Baptism, God embraces us as his ‘beloved’ children.

Adopted children of God the Father! While Baptism is usually administered in a church, there are two exceptions to this standard practice. They are Baptism of Desire and Baptism of Blood. Baptism of Desire: This takes place when someone who is not informed of Jesus and the Church nevertheless seeks God sincerely and strives to fulfill God’s will as best they understand it. Because Christ died for all, such people are considered to have been ‘saved’ by Baptism of Desire. Baptism of Blood: This takes place when anyone who is not baptized suffers death for the sake of the faith. The Church considers this person’s death to be for and with Christ, and in this sense the person is baptized into Christ’s Death and Resurrection by the shedding of their own blood.

Remembering our Baptism Remembering our Baptism is vital to our growing as children of God and disciples of Jesus. There are several rituals during the Mass that help us remember and renew our Baptism: The celebrant invites everyone to make the Sign of the Cross. The lighted candles remind us that we have been ‘enlightened by Christ’. Burning incense helps us lift up our mind and heart to God in prayer. Sprinkling the assembly with baptismal water, or holy water, helps us recall our rebirth at Baptism.

Remembering our Baptism Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church that bear a resemblance to the Sacraments. Sacramentals ‘prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it’ (CCC, no. 1670). Sacramentals can be actions accompanied by prayer, such as blessing ourselves by making the Sign of the Cross and sprinkling with holy water. Sacramentals can also be objects that have been consecrated or blessed, for example, altars, chalices and sacred oils, the Lectionary and the Book of the Gospels, holy water, candles, crucifixes, statues, scapulars, medals, representations of the Stations of the Cross and rosary beads.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty (1896–1985) The Church has named Catherine de Hueck Doherty to be a ‘Servant of God’. Love for God and others motivated Catherine to live her Baptism without compromise. Hearing Jesus’ words from Matthew 19:21, ‘Go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor . . . then come, follow me’, led Catherine to commit her life to working with the poor.

Catherine de Hueck Doherty (1896–1985) In 1930 Catherine founded Friendship House, an organization of Catholic lay men and women dedicated to bringing the justice and love of Jesus to individuals and institutions. In 1947 she founded Madonna House, a community of love committed to making the Gospel ‘real’ for people living in poverty, whether that poverty be spiritual or physical or economic.