From: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11
Baptism (Continuation)
[8] But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. [9]
For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no
longer has dominion over him. [10] The death He died He died to sin once for all,
but the life He lives He lives to God. [11] So you also must consider yourselves
dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
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Commentary:
1-11. The universal dominion of sin, which began with the sin of Adam, is not the
only event to be reckoned with. When sin reached its full extent, the grace brought
by Jesus Christ came in superabundance. Through Baptism this grace reaches
each of us and frees us from the control of sin. When we receive this Sacrament
we die: that is to say, our blameworthiness is destroyed, we renounce sin once
and for all, and are born again into a new life.
“The Lord”, St. Ambrose tells the newly baptized, “who wanted His benefactions to
endure, the serpent’s plans to be turned to naught, and the harm done to be put
right, delivered a sentence to mankind: ‘You are dust, and to dust you shall return’
(Genesis 3:19), and made man subject to death [...]. The remedy was given him:
man would die and rise again [...]. You ask me how? [...] Pay attention. So that in
his world too the devil’s snare would be broken, a rite was instituted whereby man
would die, being alive, and rise again, being alive [...]. Through immersion in wa-
ter the sentence is blotted out: ‘You are dust, and to dust you shall return’” (”De
Sacramentis”, II, 6).
This passage of the epistle, which reveals the key truths concerning Baptism, also
reminds us of the profound meaning of this rite which Christ established, its spiri-
tual effects in Christians and its far-reaching effects with respect to the Christian
life. Thus, we can apply to Baptism what St. Thomas Aquinas says about all the
sacraments: “Three aspects of sanctification may be considered — its very cause,
which is Christ’s Passion; its form, which is grace and the virtues; and its ultimate
end, which is eternal life. And all these are signified by the sacraments. Conse-
quently, a sacrament is a sign which is both a reminder of the past, that is, of the
Passion of Christ, and an indication of what is effected in us by Christ’s Passion,
and a foretelling and pledge of future glory” (”Summa Theologiae”, III, q. 60, a. 3).
In the specific case of Baptism, the various things which the Sacrament implies
carry a special nuance — a new birth which presupposes a symbolic death. It re-
produces in us not only the Passion, Death and burial of Christ, symbolized by
immersion in water (verses 3-4, 6), but also new life, the life of grace which pours
into the soul, enabling the person to share in the Resurrection of Christ (verses
4-5). This sharing in Christ’s Resurrection to immortal life is a kind of seed which
will ultimately produce the glorious resurrection of our bodies.
The baptized person is, therefore, someone newly created, someone born into a
new life, someone who has moved out of darkness into light. The white garment
used at Baptism symbolizes innocence and grace; the burning candle, the light of
Christ — two symbols the Church uses in the baptismal liturgy to signify what is
happening.
Thus, in Baptism, God “removes every trace of sin, whether original or personal”
(”The Rite of Baptism”, Introduction, 5) and also remits the penalties that these
sins incur. On being baptized in the name of the Three Divine Persons, the Chris-
tian is shown God the Father’s love for him (a love he has not merited), is given a
share in the Paschal Mystery of the Son, and to him is communicated new life in
the Spirit (cf. “Instruction on Infant Baptism”, 20 October 1980, 9). Baptism, which
is also described as “the door of the spiritual life”, unites a person to Christ and to
the Church by means of grace, which makes us children of God and heirs to Hea-
ven. Finally, in addition to the infused virtues and supernatural gifts, the person is
given “the graces necessary to live in a Christian way, and on his soul is im-
pressed the sacramental character which makes him a Christian for evermore”
(”St. Pius X Catechism”, 250).
Baptism, which confers a “character”, that is, a kind of seal confirming our Chris-
tian calling, gives us a share in Christ’s priesthood and makes us capable of re-
ceiving the other sacraments.
4. It is easier to grasp the symbolism of burial and resurrection if one remembers
that in earlier times, and particularly in the apostolic period, Baptism was usually
administered by immersion in water — in some cases by total immersion, up to
three times, with one Person of the Blessed Trinity being invoked each time.
“They asked you, ‘Do you believe in God the Father almighty?’ You said, ‘I be-
lieve’, and you were immersed, that is, you were buried. Again they asked you,
‘Do you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Cross?’ You said, ‘I believe’,
and you were again immersed. This time you have been buried with Christ, and
he who is buried with Christ rises with Christ. For a third time you were asked,
‘Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?’ You said, ‘I believe’, and for a third time you
were immersed, so that by this three-fold confession you might be loosed of your
many attachments to your past life” (St. Ambrose, “De Sacramentis”, II, 7).
Today Baptism is normally administered by pouring water over the head — a me-
thod also used in apostolic times and which gradually came into general use be-
cause it was found more convenient.
9-10. Jesus Christ chose to bear all the consequences of sin, even though He was
sinless. His voluntary death on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection broke the
bonds of death, for Himself and for all His own. Death no longer shall have domin-
ion: “[Christ died] that through death He might destroy him who has the power of
death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were sub-
ject to lifelong bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). And as a consequence He won, for
His own human nature and for us, a new life.
In all those who have been baptized these same events in Christ’s life are in some
way reproduced. “Our past sins have been wiped out by the action of grace. Now,
so as to stay dead to sin after Baptism, personal effort is called for, although God’s
grace continues to be with us, providing us with great help” (Chrysostom, “Hom.
on Rom.”, 11). This personal effort might be encapsulated in a resolution: “May
we never die through sin; may our spiritual resurrection be eternal” (St J. Escriva,
“Holy Rosary”, 1st Glorious Mystery).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Matthew 10:37-42
Jesus’ Instructions to the Apostles (Continuation)
[40] He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him
who sent Me. [41] He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall re-
ceive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a
righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. [42] And whoever gives to
one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I
say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”
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Commentary:
34-37. Our Lord has not come to bring a false and earthly peace — the sort of
tranquility the self-seeking person yearns for; He wants us to struggle against our
own passions and against sin and its effects. The sword He equips us with for this
struggle is, in the words of Scripture, “the sword of the Spirit which is the word of
God” (Ephesians 6:17), “lively and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the
thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The word of God in fact leads to these divisions mentioned here. It can lead, even
within families, to those who embrace the faith being regarded as enemies by rela-
tives who resist the word of truth. This is why our Lord goes on (verse 37) to say
that nothing should come between Him and His disciple — not even father, mother,
son or daughter: any and every obstacle (cf. Matthew 5:29-30) must be avoided.
Obviously these words of Jesus do not set up any opposition between the first
and fourth commandments (love for God above all things and love for one’s pa-
rents): He is simply indicating the order of priorities. We should love God with all
our strength (cf. Matthew 22:37), and make a serious effort to be saints; and we
should also love and respect — in theory and in practice — the parents God has
given us; they have generously cooperated with the creative power of God in
bringing us into the world and there is so much that we owe them. But love for our
parents should not come before love of God; usually there is no reason why these
two loves should clash, but if that should happen, we should be quite clear in our
mind and in heart about what Jesus says here. He has in fact given us an example
to follow on this point: “How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must
be in My Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) — His reply when, as a youth, Mary and
Joseph found Him in the Temple of Jerusalem after a long search. This event in
our Lord’s life is a guideline for every Christian — parent or child. Children should
learn from it that their affection for their parents should never come before their
love for God, particularly when our Creator asks us to follow Him in a way which
implies special self-giving on our part; parents should take the lesson that their
children belong to God in the first place, and therefore He has a right to do with
them what He wishes, even if this involves sacrifice, even heroic sacrifice. This
teaching of our Lord asks us to be generous and to let God have His way. In fact,
however, God never lets Himself be outdone in generosity. Jesus has promised
a hundredfold gain, even in this life, and later on eternal life (cf. Matthew 19:29),
to those who readily respond to His will.
38-39. The teaching contained in the preceding verses is summed up in these two
succinct sentences. Following Christ, doing what He asks, means risking this pre-
sent life to gain eternal life.
“People who are constantly concerned with themselves, who act above all for their
own satisfaction, endanger their eternal salvation and cannot avoid being unhappy
even in this life. Only if a person forgets himself and gives himself to God and to
others, in marriage as well as in any other aspect of life, can he be happy on this
earth, with a happiness that is a preparation for, and a foretaste of, the joy of Hea-
ven” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 24). Clearly, Christian life is based on
self-denial: there is no Christianity without the Cross.
40. To encourage the Apostles and to persuade others to receive them, our Lord
affirms that there is an intimate solidarity, or even a kind of identity, between Him-
self and His disciples. God in Christ, Christ in the Apostles: this is the bridge be-
tween Heaven and earth. (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23).
41-42. A prophet’s mission is not essentially one of announcing future events; his
main role is that of communicating the word of God (cf. Jeremiah 11:2; Isaiah 1:2).
The righteous man, the just man, is he who obeys the Law of God and follows His
paths (cf. Genesis 6:9; Isaiah 3:10). Here Jesus tells us that everyone who hum-
bly listens to and welcomes prophets and righteous men, recognizing God in them,
will receive the reward of a prophet and a righteous man. The very fact of gene-
rously receiving God’s friends will gain one the reward that they obtain. Similarly,
if we should see God in the least of His disciples (verse 42), even if they do not
seem very important, they are important, because they are envoys of God and of
His Son. That is why he who gives them a glass of cold water — an alms, or any
small service — will receive a reward, for he has shown generosity to our Lord
Himself (cf. Matthew 25:40).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.