Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa gives a meditation in the presence of Benedict XVI, Cardinals, Bishops and Prelates, Redemptoris Mater Chapel at the Vatican, Dec.23, 2005.
Posted on 01/08/2006 6:02:15 AM PST by NYer
A Call for Rediscovery of Sacrament of Baptism
Father Cantalamessa Comments on This Sunday's Gospel
ROME, JAN. 6, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the commentary that Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the preacher to the Pontifical Household, prepared on the Gospel of this Sunday, the Baptism of Jesus. The solemnity of Epiphany was celebrated today in Italy.
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The Baptism of Jesus
(Isaiah 55:1-11; 1 John 5:1-9; Mark 1:7-11)
Rediscovering Our Baptism
"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As soon as he came out of the water he saw that the heavens opened and that the Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended on him. And a voice was heard that came from the heavens: 'You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"
Was it that Jesus also needed to be baptized, as we do? Of course not. With that gesture, he wanted to show that he had become one of us. Above all, he wanted to put an end to the baptism of "water" and inaugurate that "of the Spirit." It was not the water in the Jordan that sanctified Jesus, but Jesus who sanctified the water. Not only the water of the Jordan, but that of all fonts of the world.
The feast of the Baptism of Jesus is the annual occasion to reflect on our own baptism. A question people often ask themselves about baptism is: Why baptize small children? Why not wait until they are older and can decide freely for themselves? It is a serious question, but it can conceal a deceit. In procreating a child and giving him life, do parents first ask for his permission? Convinced that life is an immense gift, they rightly assume that one day the child will be grateful for it. A person is not asked for permission to be given a gift, and baptism is essentially this: the gift of life given to man by the merits of Christ.
Of course, all this assumes that the parents themselves are believers and have the intention to help the child develop the gift of faith. The Church acknowledges their decisive competency in this area and does not want a child to be baptized against their will.
Moreover, no one today says that, by the simple fact that a person is not baptized, he will be condemned and go to hell. Children who die without baptism, as well as people who have lived, through no fault of their own, outside the Church, can be saved (the latter, it is understood, if they live according to the dictates of their conscience).
Let us forget the idea of limbo as the place without joy or sadness in which children who are not baptized will end up. The fate of children who are not baptized is no different from that of the Holy Innocents, which we celebrated just after Christmas. The reason is that God is love and "wants all to be saved," and Christ also died for them!
Quite different, however, is the case of the one who neglects receiving baptism out of laziness or indifference, though aware, perhaps, in the depth of his conscience, of its importance and necessity. In this case, Jesus' word retains all its severity: only "he who believes and is baptized will be saved" (cf. Mark 16:16). There are increasingly more people in our society who for different reasons have not been baptized in childhood. There is the risk that they will grow up and make no decision, one way or another. Parents are no longer concerned about it because they now think that it is not their duty; the children because they have other things to think about; and also because it has not yet entered the common mentality that the person himself must take the initiative to be baptized.
In order to address this situation, the Church gives much importance at present to the so-called Christian initiation of adults. The latter offers the young person or adult who is not baptized the occasion to be formed, to prepare and to decided with full liberty. It is necessary to surmount the idea that baptism is only something for children.
Baptism expresses its full meaning precisely when it is desired and decided upon personally, as a free and conscious adherence to Christ and his Church, although the validity and gift of being baptized as children must not be disregarded for the reasons above explained. Personally, I am grateful to my parents for having had me baptized in the first days of my life. It is not the same to live one's childhood and youth with or without sanctifying grace!
[Translation by ZENIT]
Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa gives a meditation in the presence of Benedict XVI, Cardinals, Bishops and Prelates, Redemptoris Mater Chapel at the Vatican, Dec.23, 2005.
My Daughters are going to be baptised next Friday.
"We don't know what will happen to these children over the next 50 to 60 years but by baptizing the babies, we are ensuring them eternal life with Christ."
I got involved in mentoring a 70 year old neighbor who had been raised and lived as an atheist. I urged baptism and witnessed an amazing battle for her soul that was frightening and awe-inspiring. Everyone showed up from greys to Saint Patrick.
Thank you for this witness! Do you mind my asking how you approached this person? This is a beautiful story that needs to be shared with all of us here. Perhaps others can benefit as well. Bless you!
Yes, as parents it is important to have your child receive this Sacrament as early as possible. It saddens me when parents wait until the child is 6 or 9 months old. Usually their reasons for waiting are without basis or merit, outling their true ignorance of this important Sacrament.
Cantalamesa is still drawing the same huge audiences, I see.
It was lost??!!
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My neighbor approached me after she retired. She was reading the Bible for the first time and was full of stories of UFO experiences, visions, and conversations with God. I thought this do-it-yourself introduction was fraught with error and peril, and I made very sure to keep my own armor on. I took her to mass but she didn't like it and wanted to substitute TV.
One day she came over to visit and was complaining mightily about how the tuning on her radio was mysteriously changed and what a terrible time she had getting it back to the way she wanted it. I ignored this thinking she might be trying to discuss a numerology topic.
We looked at the NASA site on the voyage to Mars and then got into a conversation about baptism. I got my copy of the Catechism to answer her questions. As she got up to leave, she said, "I still want to know about those numbers on my radio dial", and she repeated them. "Wait a minute, " I replied, " I think those are the numbers I have been looking at in the catechism." Sure enough, she was saying the chapter numbers that begin and end the section in the catechism." She took that as an awesome sign, got herself over to the Baptist church she had been favoring, and she was baptised two weeks later.
She was reading the Bible for the first time and was full of stories of UFO experiences, visions, and conversations with God.
Oftentimes during the night, one or both of my dogs will wake me up for a nightime 'visit' to the greater outdoors. Occasionally, I will stay up awhile and turn on talk radio. Anyone familiar with 'Coasttocoastam' will immediately recognize this woman's symptoms of delusion. Art Bell has been followed by George Noory, both of whom have offered guests that discuss the arcane, especially numerology, bible code, ufo's, bigfoot ... anything fringe is okay. Before his death, Fr. Malachi Martin was often a guest on Art Bell's program, discussing vatican conspiracies, demonic possession, etc. On programs such as this, anytime a catholic priest speaks, he becomes the representative of the entire faith. You can image the impression Art Bell's listeners had of the Catholic Church.
She took that as an awesome sign, got herself over to the Baptist church she had been favoring, and she was baptised two weeks later.
Well that's a great consolation. How long ago was this and is she still attending the Baptist Church?
This happened a couple of years ago over several months. She was, by the way, a fan of Art Bell who had referred her to an Episcopal priest who had done an exorcism but thought baptism was not necessary. The Episcopal priest is FL director of MUFON. Part of my own development was to realize that the UFO movement offers another cosmology and really is heretical. Even Bell has written that he thinks ET's are demons. I had regarded it harmless and unproven, but Art Bell's show always gave me the creeps. I think it should be a concern that there are so many irrational people grasping at straws in America.
BTTT - Fr. Cantalamessa is such a sweetie! He was here in October for our Eucharistic Conference and had wonderful insights, as well as a darling accent.
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