From: Romans 6:3-11
Baptism (Continuation)
[5] For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be
united with Him in a resurrection like His. [6] We know that our old self was cru-
cified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no lon-
ger be enslaved to sin. [7] For He who has died is freed from sin. [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 lon-
ger 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 gi-
ven him: man would die and rise again [...]. You ask me how? [...] Pay attention.
So that in this 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 im-
mersion in water 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
spiritual effects in Christians and its far-reaching effects with respect to the Chris-
tian 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.
Consequently, 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 Heaven. 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 impressed the sacramental character which makes him a Chris-
tian 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 usual-
ly 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.
5. Just as the ingraft and the plant form a single thing and make a single princi-
ple of life, Christians by being grafted onto or incorporated into Christ through
Baptism form one single thing with Him and begin to draw on His divine life. We
are also “united with Him in a death like His”: Christ suffered physical death; we,
in Baptism, die spiritually to the life of sin. St. John Chrysostom explains this
as follows: “Baptism is for us what the Cross and burial were for Christ; but with
this difference: the Savior died physically, He was physically buried, whereas we
ought to die spiritually. That is why the Apostle does not say we are ‘united with
Him with His death’, but ‘in a death like his’” (”Hom. on Rom.”, 10).
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 dominion: “[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 subject to lifelong bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). And as a conse-
quence 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” (Chry-
sostom, “Hom. on Rom.”, 11). This personal effort might be encapsulated in a
resolution: “May we never die through sin; may our spiritual resurrection be eter-
nal” (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 28:1-10
Jesus Appears To The Women
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Commentary:
1-15. The resurrection of Jesus, which happened in the early hours of the Sun-
day morning, is a fact which all the evangelist state clearly and unequivocally.
Some holy women discover to their surprise that the tomb is open. On entering
the hall (cf. Mark 16:5-6), they see an angel who says to them, “He is not here;
for He has risen, as He said.” The guards who were on duty when the angel
rolled back the stone go to the city and report what has happened to the chief
priests. These, because of the urgency of the matter, decide to bribe the guards;
they give them a considerable sum of money on condition that they spread the
word that His disciples came at night and stole the body of Jesus when they
were asleep. “Wretched craftiness,” says St. Augustine, “do you give us wit-
nesses who were asleep? It is you who are really asleep if this is the only kind
of explanation you have to offer!” (”Enarrationes in Psalmos”, 63, 15). The Apos-
tles, who a couple of days before fled in fear, will, now that they have seen Him
and have eaten and drunk with Him, become tireless preachers of this great e-
vent: “This Jesus,” they will say, “God raised up, and of that we are all witnes-
ses” (Acts 2:32).
Just as He foretold He would go up to Jerusalem and be delivered to the leaders
of the Jews and put to death, He also prophesied that He would rise from the
dead (Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34). By His resurrection He
completes the sign He promised to give unbelievers to show His divinity (Matthew
12:40).
The resurrection of Christ is one of the basic dogmas of the Catholic faith. In fact,
St. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and
your faith is in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:14); and, to prove his assertion that Christ
rose, he tells us “that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then He ap-
peared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom are still a-
live, though some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the
apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me” (1 Corin-
thians 15:5-8). The creed states that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day
(”Nicene Creed”), by His own power (Ninth Council of Toledo, “De Redemptio-
ne”), by a true resurrection of the flesh (”Creed” of St. Leo IX), reuniting His soul
with His body (Innocent III, “Eius Exemplo”), and that this fact of the resurrection
is historically proven and provable (”Lamentabili”, 36).
“By the word ‘resurrection’ we are not merely to understand that Christ was
raised from the dead...but that He rose by His own power and virtue, a singular
prerogative peculiar to Him alone. Our Lord confirmed this by the divine testimo-
ny of His own mouth when He said: ‘I lay down My life, that I may take it again
....I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again’ (John 10:17-
18). To the Jews He also said, in corroboration of His doctrine: ‘Destroy this tem-
ple, and in three days I will raise it up’ (John 2:19-20) [...]. We sometimes, it is
true, read in Scripture that He was raised by the Father (cf. Acts 2:24; Romans
8:11); but this refers to Him as man, just as those passages on the other hand,
which say that He rose by His own power, related to Him as God” (”St. Pius V
Catechism”, 1, 6, 8).
Christ’s resurrection was not a return to His previous earthly existence; it was a
“glorious” resurrection, that is to say, attaining the full development of human life
—immortal, freed from all limitations of space and time. As a result of the resur-
rection, Christ’s body now shares in the glory which His soul had from the begin-
ning. Here lies the unique nature of the historical fact of the resurrection. He
could not be seen by anyone but only by those to whom He granted that grace,
to enable them to be witnesses of this resurrection, and to enable others to be-
lieve in Him by accepting the testimony of the seers.
Christ’s resurrection was something necessary for the completion of the work of
our Redemption. For, Jesus Christ through His death freed us from sins; but by
His resurrection He restored us all that we had lost through sin and, moreover,
opened for us the gates of eternal life (cf. Romans 4:25). Also, the fact that He
rose from the dead by His own power is a definitive proof that He is the Son of
God, and therefore His resurrection fully confirms our faith in His divinity.
The resurrection of Christ, as has been pointed out, is the most sublime truth of
our faith. That is why St. Augustine exclaims: “It is no great thing to believe that
Christ died; for this is something that is also believed by pagans and Jews and
by all the wicked: everyone believes that He died. The Christians’ faith is in
Christ’s resurrection; this is what we hold to be a great thing — to believe that
He rose” (”Enarrationes in Psalmos”, 120).
The mystery of the Redemption wrought by Christ, which embraces His death
and resurrection, is applied to every man and woman through Baptism and the
other sacraments, by means of which the believer is as it were immersed in
Christ and in His death, that is to say, in a mystical way he becomes part of
Christ, he dies and rises with Christ: “We were buried therefore with Him by
baptism unto death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
An ardent desire to seek the things of God and an interior taste for the things
that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-3) are signs of our resurrection with Christ.
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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.