“The neighbors and those who had seen him before…said to him, ‘How were your eyes opened?’” The Pharisees “asked him how he had received his sight.” The Jews asked the parents of the man, “How does he now see?” Once again the Pharisees asked in frustration, “How did he open your eyes?” Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Continue reading “Thy Kingdom Come: How Were Your Eyes Opened?”
We are continuing our journey according to the ancient catechumenate Lenten Gospels from St. John. The theme of water continues. First, we with Nicodemus are told that no one can see, enter or possess the kingdom of God unless he be born again, born from above by means of water and the Spirit. The catechumens are preparing to receive Holy Baptism by water and the Spirit at Easter. We, accompanying them to the font, retrace our own new beginning or new birth of our own baptism for renewed repentance and faith. The very first question of the catechism on the Sacrament of Holy Baptism is, “What is Baptism?” And we are taught to respond, “Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word.” Baptism is water applied to our bodies externally. Therefore, Holy Baptism can be thought of as cleansing, not as removal of dirt from the body, however, but the removal or forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Continue reading “Thy Kingdom Come: The Gift of God”
The road to becoming a Christian begins with this: you cannot just join up, you cannot just change your actions, you cannot just cover over your sin. The road to becoming a Christian begins with this: You Must Be Born Again. That is, you must be changed, be made totally new. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. You didn’t have anything to do with that. You must be born now from above. You also don’t have anything to do with that! Those who are born again, from above are born of God and have been given the gift of faith, faith in God, faith in His Word. Continue reading “Thy Kingdom Come: You Must Be Born Again”
Today, especially in this first year of our three-year lectionary, we are blessed to begin again the ancient journey of the catechumenate, the starting line of the Christian race of faith, the journey of beginning to discover what it means to be a Christian. The catechumenate is guided by the ancient traditional gospels from St. John. For those going through this journey for the first time it will culminate in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at the Vigil of the Eve of Easter. (Shhh! Don’t tell the new ones what to expect!) For the rest of us it is to be like going back to our beginnings, to rediscover the miracle and freshness of faith and the joy of our new spiritual birth (John 3), of satisfying our spiritual thirst (John 4), of regaining our spiritual vision (John 9), and of overcoming the last enemy of death (John 11). Continue reading “Thy Kingdom Come: The Kingdom Ours Remaineth”
