Born from Above
March 23, 2025
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’” -John 3:5-7
Over the next three Sundays of Lent, we will take our scripture readings from the Year A sequence of readings rather than the Year C readings that are proclaimed every other Sun day this liturgical year. The reason for this change-up is that we will be celebrating the three Scrutinies with our Elect (those preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil). The prayers of the Scrutinies are connected to the Gospel passages proclaimed in the Year A Gospel passages. The Scrutinies give the Elect opportunities to reflect on their lives thus far, to seek liberation from sin, and to be strengthened in their resolve to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. This is a delicate spiritual time for them.
For us who are already baptized, we are strongly encouraged to keep our Elect (and Candidates for Full Communion in the Catholic Church) in our prayers during their Lenten period of Purification and Enlightenment. This is also a time for us to contemplate the meaning of baptism in our own lives. We are all preparing to renew our own baptismal promises at the Easter liturgy. This is a perfect time to reflect on the effects of our own baptism day on our lives. Some of the effects of our baptism, whether we received this sacrament as a child or as an adult, are the washing away of our sins, our recreation in Christ, our anointing in the Spirit of Jesus, and our incorporation into the Church.
At our baptism, we died to sin. Through the grace and mercy of God obtained for us through the Paschal Mystery of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we were washed clean of our sins, both original sin and our personal sins (if we were old enough at baptism to have knowingly chosen sin). However, we know from experience that the effects of sin remains with us. This is why we are called to always, but especially during the time of Lent, to honestly acknowledge our sins, repent, and seek the Lord’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We do not live in desolation or fear of sin as baptized Christians, but in the freedom of those who know that Christ has conquered sin and death.
At our baptism, we were “born again” as a “new creation” in Christ. We were given a participation in the very life of Christ. We call this gift Grace. The kingdom of God is within us. We can call upon the power of Christ’s divine life within us whenever we share with Christ our prayers, work, desires, joys, fears, and sufferings. Lent is a time to deepen our prayer life (the communication that nourishes the new life in Christ) and more closely model our behavior on his through fasting which strives for justice and almsgiving that realizes the love of Christ in our world.
At our baptism, we were anointed as priests, prophets, and royalty in Jesus: Priest, Prophet, and King. We live our baptismal priesthood through offering our prayers and sacrifices in union with Jesus in the Holy Spirit. We live our prophetic role when we speak the truth in love, as Jesus did. We live our royalty when we follow the example of Jesus who came to bring us life through service to all God’s children, even to the point of laying down his life for us on the Cross.
At our baptism, we were also incorporated into the Church, which is the Body of Christ. Our unity in Christ brings men and women of every nation and culture together in the worship of God the Father in Christ through the Holy Spirit. We are called to carry each other as we strive toward the fullness of God’s kingdom in Heaven. We each have our own personal gifts, perspectives, and histories that are to be used in service to enrich all. All spiritual gifts and experiences are given so that we build the unity of Christ’s body.
For many of us, our baptism seems like a ritual that my parents asked of the Church when we were babies with very little relevance to our day-to- day life. But seen the eyes of faith, Baptism is the most defining event of our life (and our afterlife!). Because of our baptism we now live, and move, and have our being in Jesus Christ. (Acts of the Apostles 17:28) We have the pledge of eternal life in Christ. We are empowered by Grace to love God and neighbor in ways that are impossible without this gift. We are forgiven our sins and set free from the effects of sin. We have been given entrance into a family whose unity is in the love of the Holy Spirit. Have we thanked God for the graces of Baptism? Do we call upon them daily?
This Lent, let us pray for our Elect preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil while at the same time laying ahold of the precious gift of our baptism with gratitude. May the Light of Christ, shared with us at Baptism, radiate in our lives, inspiring more and more people to live in the light of Christ, who is the Light of the World.