In Baptism He/She/We Died with Christ
At every Funeral Mass the priest prays in these or similar words: “In Baptism, N died with Christ. May he/she share with Him everlasting life.” Indeed, it is an integral part of our faith that in the sacrament of Baptism, we do experience a spiritual death. As the Father, in this same sacrament claims us as His beloved children, we accept the call to die to ourselves and our selfish wills so that we might live fully for Him as His true sons and daughters. Perhaps we know the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe, the priest who, while in a Nazi concentration camp, gave up his own life so that another man would live. When asked how he was able to make such a choice, he explained that he was a Catholic priest, and that in a very real way he had had already given up his own life-on the day of his ordination. Actually, all of us have already given up our own lives, if we are truly living out our baptismal calls. So-what about the baptism of Jesus? If we believe that in our own baptisms, we have died with Him, then isn’t it correct to say that it was at His own baptism, that He died with us-every bit as much as He died for us on the Cross? Jesus’ Baptism is so significant because it marks the time of His decision to follow the will of His Father. It was on the day of His Baptism that He laid down His life for us. From the day of His Baptism, He never strayed from His journey to Jerusalem and the Cross. No wonder it was at this time that His Father proclaimed Him as His beloved Son in whom He was well pleased. Now, what about us? Have we truly died with Christ at our baptisms or have we strayed away from our baptismal callings and from our own personal Crosses? Are we living for Christ, or for ourselves? We are doing either one or the other-which is it? Do we believe that Christ is in fact the one who was pointed to by all the prophets, etc. during the Advent/Christmas Season and proclaimed as such by God the Father Himself as the season comes to its end today-or not? The answer to these questions will become clear to us as we examine how we live out our baptismal calls during the days of Ordinary Time-which begin tomorrow.