The meaning of our own baptism

Homily for Baptism of the Lord Year C 2016

Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11; Titus 2:11-14;3:2-7; Luke 3:15-16,21-22

Introduction

A few months ago I asked my students on a pop quiz, to write down the date of their baptism.  I am sorry to say that although they all knew their birthday, less than half of them knew the date of their baptism.

Thankfully the Church recognizes both the birth of the Lord at Christmas and his baptism in today’s feast.  Today’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord is as good an occasion as any other, for us to reflect on the meaning of our own baptism.  For this reflection, let us look at four symbols from the baptism ceremony.

Scripture and Theology

Most of us, baptised as infants, don’t remember our own baptism.  But we have certainly been to the baptisms of our children, nieces and nephews and others. 

The first symbol is water, which is either poured on the baby’s forehead or in which the baby is immersed.  Have you ever considered that before we leave the house in the morning we use water for five things?

1. We wash our faces
2. We brush our teeth
3. We shower
4. We drink water or coffee
5. We flush the toilet

As you may have noticed, four of these uses of water have to do with cleaning.  It is no wonder then that when God wanted to give us an external sign that would indicate interior cleaning, he chose the sign of water, washing with water.

1.  John the Baptist used the water of the River Jordan, to symbolize the repentance of the people who came to him, after hearing his preaching.
2. This is the same baptism that Jesus underwent, even though he had no need of repentance; he wanted to fulfil all righteousness.
3. And when Jesus returning to the Father, he also commanded his disciples to “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).
4.  And since then the Church has never stopped carrying out this ritual sign of washing people with water externally as a real sign of their sins being forgiven.  Baptism really takes away our sins: it takes away the original sin that we inherit with this broken human condition, but if we have committed any other sins, they are also completely wiped out.  And so, the washing with water signifies this spiritual cleansing, the first effect of baptism.

The second thing we get from baptism is that it gives us new life as children of God.  Remember when Nicodemus came to Jesus at night?  Jesus told him that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born from above, without being born again, without being born of the water and Spirit (Jn. 3).

That is why as the priest is baptising with water, he says: “Michael or Susan, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

·        If the washing signifies the taking away of sins, these words signify that the baptized is being claimed by God the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

·        If before baptism Susan and Michael were little pagans, after baptism Susan and Michael are children of God, an adopted daughter and son of God, a sister and brother to the Lord Jesus.

Imagine you are painting an old house.  If you want the finished product to look really good, first you strip away the old mouldy and dirty paint, sand paper the wall, and then put on a new coat of paint.  That is what baptism does: The stripping and sand-papering is the taking away of sin, while the new coat of paint is the new life in Christ.  The first effect of baptism is negative, taking away something bad, sin; but the second effect of baptism is positive, giving us something good, new life.

Christian Life

What are we to do with baptism once we receive it? What are we to do with our new sinless state, our new status as children of God?  Two more signs from the baptism ceremony, the white cloth and the lighted candle, tell us what to do.

As he clothes the child with the white cloth, the priest says:

Michael or Susan, you have become a new creation, and have clothed yourself in Christ.  See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.

And so, the white garment is a sign of our new sinless state.

Think of that expensive tuxedo or evening gown that you wear only occasionally.  You try not to stain it with pasta sauce or wine, so that you don’t have to clean it and probably ruin it.  If you do stain it, then you must take it to a good dry cleaner, to take that spot out.

Our baptismal garment, our new life in baptism is just as precious; but we have to wear it every day.  All the more reason why we must seek God’s grace to keep it clean, by cultivating the virtues and avoiding vices.  But if we sin, we can restore this garment of our life to its purity, the state of innocence received at baptism, by approaching the sacrament of Confession.  In confession, God has provided detergent and bleach, to blot our sins, so that we can return to being his children

The other sign is the lighted candle.  If the white garment points to our own holiness and purity, the lighted candle points to what our baptismal state does for others.  As he gives the lighted candle to the newly baptised the priest says:

You have been enlightened by Christ.  Walk always as children of the light and keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts. When the Lord comes, may you go out to meet him with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom.

At our baptism, these words commission us to go out and make use of our baptism, by being a light to the world.  We do this both by what we say and especially by what they do.  The new condition brought about by baptism must not remain stale; must not die; we must keep the flame of faith alive.

In many Ugandan villages, families use firewood for cooking.  Because they often don’t have matchboxes, they have a tried and tested method of obtaining fire.  First, they preserve hot coals or embers in ash from their last fire.  And then, several hours later when they need to cook or provide lighting, all they have to do is to blow on the glowing coal and fan it until it produces a flame.

And so, like the African mother who blows onto a glowing coal, to produce a flame with which to cook a meal or to provide light for her family, we the baptized person are asked to continually fire up the new life we have received in baptism.  We cannot just it on it nor worse we cannot let die out.

Conclusion

Let this celebration of the Baptism of the Lord remind us of our own baptism.  If like my students you don’t know the date of your baptism, try to find out the date on which you were born anew spiritually.  You don’t have to celebrate this date with candles and cake like you celebrate your natural birth.  But on this special day you might go to confession or to Mass, to renew the white garment you received at baptism.  On this special day you might do some extra work of charity or evangelization to share and keep alive the light received at baptism.

When we come to the end of our earthly journey, having kept our garment clean and our light lit, may God the Father say to us those words he says Jesus at his baptism: “You are my beloved Son/Daughter; with you I am well pleased.”