Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Sunday January 9, 2005

Social Status or Way of Life?

The celebration of baptism for infants and adults has changed dramatically over the last thirty or forty years. Less than half of those present this morning may remember the ritual, which seems in hindsight to have been “performed” almost clandestinely. Fathers and godparents accompanied their infant children to the church. Mothers did not participate and in most instances did not attend. There were some practical reasons for this not the least of which were related to health and recovery after giving birth. The normal hospital stay was five days. Babies were to be baptized within two weeks. We might speculate beyond this but suffice it to say that mothers were relegated to the background on this most significant occasion. It’s hard to remember much less to imagine.

There was no catechesis or spiritual preparation prior to the ceremony, which was performed rather than celebrated-on an ‘ad hoc’ basis-in Latin. The baptistry was located in a gated enclosure in a remote corner near the entrance to the church. Except for the baptistry, the church was in darkness. Information about the baby—vital statistics, etc. was collected prior to the ceremony. Depending on the number of infants to be baptized, the entire ritual took approximately fifteen to twenty minutes. The fathers did not participate but stood outside the baptistry.

Adult baptism was not very different. It was a quiet private ceremony performed in the presence of one witness or sponsor and usually took place on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon using the same ritual as that used for infant baptism.

As bland and antiseptic as the ceremony was, the underlying theology was even more so. The motivation for requesting baptism was the removal of original sin in which the baby was born into the world and which was believed to be an obstacle to a full life with God and indeed, which would prevent the child from ever seeing God should an untimely death occur prior to baptism. There is much more which could be stated about the inadequacy of the theology of and the lack of appreciation for the sacrament of baptism in those days but that must be reserved for another occasion when time permits.

Despite the theological and pastoral renewal inspired by the Vatican Council and the ensuing catechetical progress over the last several years, infant baptism is still viewed more often as an antidote against evil than as a sacrament of adoption into the fullness of the Christian life. The new catechesis still has not been fully absorbed into the spirituality of parenting. I suppose it is also fair to say that the Church still needs to make clearer the connection of the ritual with the identity and mission of Christ.

There have been some notable exceptions. Several years ago, a young couple requested that the celebration of the baptism of their infant take place in front of the congregation during the celebration of Mass. Not only that, but they also wanted the baby ‘dunked’ into the water and I was to do the ‘dunking!’ With great apprehension, I did so and then held the baby aloft in the view of the congregation. There was applause, there were tears and there was laughter. Any explanation of what had just taken place would have been superfluous. The ritual was sufficient. A second birth had taken place. This child had been reborn in the spirit.

The baptism of adults has changed radically with the restoration of the catechumenate, more commonly known as the RCIA—Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Baptism takes place only after an extensive formation process in which a number of people from the parish community participate as hosts and welcomers. Although instruction is included, it is not an instructional process. Much of the formation is based on the testimonies and faith stories which emanate from a communal reflection on the scriptures and on the tradition of the Church. Candidates for baptism are literally ‘absorbed’ into the life of the Church as the Spirit begins to breathe in them. Actually, it is the breath of the Spirit that brings them to the RCIA in the first place.

The commemoration of the baptism of Jesus is yet another opportunity to re-look at the sacrament of baptism through the lens of Jesus’ baptism.

Many explanations have been offered for the ‘why’ of Jesus’ baptism. John’s baptism was a cleansing ritual for Jews who were serious about turning their lives around. John’s gospel states that it was a baptism of repentance. Was it because he wanted to make it clear that Jesus was indeed taking on the fullness of human nature, even the effects of sin, though he himself did not sin?

Could be. It makes sense. And the scriptures seem to bear this out.

In the gospel of John, John the Baptist points to Jesus as “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Matthew identifies Jesus with the prophecy of Isaiah as the servant of God, “the beloved Son of God in whom the Father is well pleased.” It is quite likely that Matthew wanted to make it clear that Jesus did not fit the prevailing description of the long expected Messiah. He draws from the words of Isaiah a portrait of Jesus at his baptism. ‘Behold: my chosen one, endowed with my spirit; he breathes my spirit. He will do what the world considers impossible. He is the one who will bring justice to the nations—not just to one nation but to all the nations. His love as my love is indiscriminate. He will not shout; he will not crush the wounded nor quench the flame that flickers. He will be the sign of an enduring covenant; a light to the nations, he will give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.’ The baptism of Jesus was not a solitary event, performed in private. It was a public event for the whole world to witness.

It is interesting that this is also the image of Jesus in the Muslim writings as recorded by Tarif Khalidi author of a book entitled, “The Muslim Gospel. Among his collection of sayings is this one attributed to Abdallah ibn Qutayba: “Christ passed by a group of people who hurled insults at him, and he responded with blessings. He passed by another group who also insulted him, and he responded likewise. One of his disciples asked, ‘Why is that the more they insult you, the more you bless them, as if invited this upon yourself?’ Christ said, ‘A person can bring forth only what is within him.’” This is the essence of Christ’s attitude.

This is the Jesus into whom you and I have been baptized. This is the Jesus who continues to minister to the world through you and me in significant and not-so-significant ways. The words of the prayer of Theresa states it much more succinctly than I:

“Christ has no body now but yours;
No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks,
Compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes.
You are his body.

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