Baptism/Con rmation *Northern Exposure *It is a time of incommunicable faith: Maggie wanting to build and y her own plane - against Joel. Shelley waiting and desiring for the baptism of Miranda - against Holling. *It is a time of community and our faith in each other: Joel eventually standing by Maggie, though he doesn’t understand her drive or her world of ying. Holling eventually giving himself to Shelley’s deep desire for their baby’s baptism. Shelley coming to understand none of us are perfect - her renewed faith in the priest. *It is a time of repentance for our sins and weaknesses: Ed feeling remorseful for gossiping about Ruth-Ann. Shelley inherently knowing her ill feelings towards the priest are not right - are not Christian. *It is a time of renewal: Maggie, in coming to realize that she can do it - her faith, though struggling, is well founded. Ed, in knowing that he has been forgiven, and is still accepted - he can still be part of the community - working. Joel, in coming to realize that Maggie was led to something real and important for her. Shelley, in knowing that the presence of God is among us, even though we are weak and human - including herself in taking the special coin. Holling, in fully entering into the meaning of Shelley and Miranda’s spiritual lives, - even though he is not Catholic. fl fl fi *All the affects and graces of Miranda’s baptism are played out in the lives of the community. Sacraments of Initiation: *We become Christians by a process of conversion. *Turning from a life of sel shness and sin, *Of secular living - secluded from God and God’s Spirit. *To a life of Spirit- lled generosity and love. *From a life ignorant and away from God, *To a life aware of and within God. *Christ, through the Church, has given us sacraments, Sacraments: * religious rituals/church ceremonies (7 sacraments of the church) * Symbolic signs of God’s grace among us. * Effective signs of grace, * Instituted by Christ and entrusted to the church. * By which divine life is dispensed to us. * They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions (North. Ex.). Sacramentals: *lesser rituals and practices (blessings ourselves with holy appropriate and celebrate this conversion of self. *The Sacraments of Initiation. *Baptism, Con rmation, First Communion (Eucharist). fi fi fi fi *Through our Baptisms, Con rmations, and First Communions *Helping us *We are brought into the life, passion, death and resurrection of Christ. *Potentially so deep and transforming, *That we put on Christ, *We be like Christ in our own unique ways. *We receive the Holy Spirit, *The same Spirit that directed, inspired and empowered Jesus. *The prayers of Baptism, Con rmation and the Eucharist *speak of these transforming effects of the Spirit we receive. *Baptism: “… that in the sacrament of baptism all those whom you have created in your likeness may be cleansed from sin and rise to a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit.” *Con rmation: “...by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life (Baptism). * Give them (7 gifts of the Holy Spirit) * the spirit of wisdom and understanding, * The spirit of right judgement and courage, * The spirit of knowledge and reverence. * Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.” *Eucharist: With our sins washed away, *And clothed with the Holy Spirit, *We are led to the banquet table of the Lord’s Supper. *God has invited each of us to dine with Christ at the eucharistic banquet. *When we come to the table for the rst time, we put off our old selves, *The stain of Original Sin has been washed away, *Through our Sacramental bath of Baptism. *Then we dry off and get dressed. *In the early Roman centuries Romans would rub their bodies with oil after bathing. *In our sacramental system the bath of Baptism is followed by the oil of Con rmation. *Cleaned with the waters of Baptism, and clothed with the Holy Spirit, *We are invited to the eucharistic table. fi fi fi fi fi fi *When the early Christian authors wrote about Baptism they often implied, *Both the water bath and the anointing with oil (Baptism & Con rmation). *Baptism, Con rmation and Eucharist are one single series of movements. *Like today - washing up, getting dressed, and going out to eat. BUT: Sacraments Divided: *In the rst few centuries - in the persecuted church - adult Baptism was the norm, like Christ’s. *Those who accepted the invitation, the promptings of God, *Became candidates for the sacraments of initiation. *They were called catechumens, *Entering a step-by-step process towards full immersion in the church. *This process was called the catechumenate. *The church community would pray for and with the catechumens, *Instructing them, *Sharing with them the faith life of the church, *And celebrating the stages of their faith journey with special rituals of welcoming and belonging. *With the conversion of the emperor Constantine in 313, *Nearly everyone was joining the church. *The standards of the catechumenate were relaxed. *People stared to become baptized upon request. fi *Bishops were the original ministers of all the sacraments. *Then in this 4th century priests (presbyters) began to baptize, *and to preside at the Eucharist. *As a result of this rapid spread of the Christian faith. *But the anointing (Con rmation) after baptism conferring the Holy Spirit continued to be reserved for the Bishop - at a later time. *Because the dioceses were small in Italy there were usually only a few weeks or months of separation between Baptism and Anointing. *As the church grew throughout Europe (and the world) this separation became years. *By the 5th cent. The catechumenate process itself had virtually disappeared.. *The sacraments of initiation started to become, * 3 separate sacraments celebrated at different times. *Soon adult Baptisms declined, *Infant baptism became the norm. *Infants received their First Communions at their Baptisms until around the 12th century. *Then there was worry infants did not have the necessary reverence to receive eucharist. *Communion became delayed until after a period of catechetical formation to 14 or 15 years of age. *Then in 1906 Pope Pius X encouraged children as young as 6 or 7 to receive communion. *This meant that many children received Eucharist before Con rmation. *As Con rmation became separated from Baptism by a number of years, *Teachers and priests began to speak of the meaning of Con rmation (for adolescents) apart from the meaning of Baptism. *It began to be described as a sacrament of strengthening. *It now included a good natured slap on the cheek, *To remind those being con rmed that they had become soldiers for Christ. fi fi fi fi fi fi *After Vatican II the RCIA was developed, *Restoring the order of Baptism-Con rmation-Eucharist for adults, *Emphasizing the natural interconnectedness of these sacraments. Baptism *A serious step - spending much time getting ready for. *The beginning of a longer journey of commitment and discipleship. *It begins with an invitation, *A call from God through the Christian community to live the gospel as committed disciples. *When we accept this invitation, this call and response are ritualized and made visible and real. *In the celebration of Baptism. The View of Baptism *The ritual of Baptism does not bring God’s love into being as if that love did not exist before the ceremony. *It is the church’s way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God who loved us from the moment of our conception. *It is a ritualization and manifestation of something real, *Of the outpouring of God’s Spirit, *And of our acceptance of that transforming love. Water and Spirit *Baptism begins with water. *Water represents life, death, cleansing and growth. *The beginning of time also begins with water, *Chaotic water, as scripture tells us, put into order by the Spirit hovering over them. *Water continues throughout scripture: *Flood waters of Noah, *Saving water of the Red Sea parted by Moses. *That opened the way for the Israelites to pass form slavery to freedom. *Crossing the river Jordan to pass into the Promised Land. *John the Baptist Baptized in the River Jordan, *Symbolizing that the baptized were also to leave slavery of sin for the freedom of a new Promised Land. *Jesus began his ministry by being baptized in the Jordan, *With the Spirit present. *To be baptized is to be plunged into the waters, *And to open oneself to the Spirit of Jesus. *To be baptized is to have the Spirit help us, *Make order in our lives out of the chaos of the sinful world into which we are born. *To be baptized is to have the light of Christ, the grace of God, enlighten our way forward. *And entails carrying this light of Christ as a sign of our commitment. *To be baptized means to be set free from the stain of Original Sin, *To be washed of this stain of Original Sin. *We are people no longer identi ed as sinful, *But as Spiritual. *To be guided by this new awareness of God’s Spirit within us. fi New life, new birth, new light *To be baptized is to be given new birth and new life in God. *The new life of baptism is intimately associated with Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. *Jesus asked James and John if they really knew what they were requesting by wanting to sit at his side. *He asked if they were ready to share in his death: *“Have you the strength… to be baptized with the baptism I am to be baptized with? Mark 10:38 *Paul echoes this question in his letter to the Romans: *“Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? *We were buried with him so that just as Christ was raised from the dead *… we too might live a new life. Romans 6:3 Bit More History *The nal Lent before Baptism/Con rmation/First Communion is a special time for those about to be baptized (and Con rmed as adults). *Like a time of prayerful retreat, fasting and other forms of self-scrutiny, *As nal forms of preparation in accepting the faith and being received in the church. *Lent was the church’s of cial preparation for Baptisms, *Which were only celebrated once a year at the Easter Vigil. *This is why the scripture readings for the liturgies of Lent and Easter are so heavily lled with baptismal allusions. *By design the baptismal liturgy of the year is Easter Vigil, *The celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. *Through baptism we become an Easter people. Con rmation fi fi fi fi fi fi fi fi fi *Often de ned today as a sacrament of mature Christian commitment. *The occasion when young people baptized as infants put their personal signature on their parents’ decision. *The sacrament when we all receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. *Our earliest ancestors in faith did not distinguish Con rmation from Baptism. *They were, and are, one initiation, as we saw *They continue to be separated for baptized children (Western Church). *They are celebrated in one evening for adults (Easter Vigil). *As the church grew and spread throughout the world, *Bishops could no longer personally baptize every new Christian. *They delegated this rite to priests. fi fi fi fi fi fi fi fi fi fi **** But the bishops still made regular visits to local communities * To con rm the priests’ baptisms, *With a second anointing. *Thus this separate sacrament was borne. *Con rmation is a deepening of baptismal gifts. *It is the moment we receive the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit. *It is the moment we become anointed. *Baptism is birth into the family of the church. *In the baptismal font we die and rise to new life in Christ. *Parents bring an infant to the font because they want more for the child than physical life. *Adults become baptized because they want more for themselves than just physical life. *Parents come to ask for the fullness of life that only Christ can give. *Adults ask for the fullness of life that only Christ can give. *Preparation for Con rmation is a time of learning to articulate, *What it means to be a Catholic Christian. *Con rmation was looked upon being delayed until a baptized child could reach some understanding of these things. *Yet it is dif cult to speak of Con rmation as a sacrament of mature commitment. *We are continually searching for a better sense of divine reality. *Our faith commitment that we pledge at our Con rmations is a lifetime effort. *Like marriage, our religious life. *Our lives are strewn with broken promises. *As the Jewish people now in their history with God. *But we keep on making and receiving promises because we believe that commitment is possible. *Our Christian belief rests on our faith that one promise, at least, will never be broken. *God’s commitment to us. *Con rmation is the seal of God’s promise. *It marks us as God’s property, a people set apart. *In Catholic tradition Con rmation is a sacrament of commitment, *But the commitment we celebrate was God’s before it was ours. *It is much less a sacrament of human commitment, * Than a sacrament of faith in God’s delity to us.
