Baptism, why? (X) Closing...
---continuing
This is the wonder of being part of the Body of Christ, which is the Church. That we, as His Body united with Jesus the Head, receives Life. The head gives life to the Body.
This is what Baptism brings to us, New Life in God. So that we may be one with God, truly one. And this is What God wants from our lives, to be united fully with Him in His Love, to Love and to enjoy His love.
This is what Jesus prayed before He was arrested. This is His prayer for us.
20 I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me.
26 I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."
This is what Jesus wants from us, so that we may be in Him, united through His Body. So that we may enjoy the Love of the Father who is in Jesus, the source and the Giver of Life.
Dearest brothers and sisters, how wonderful it is our christian life, how amazing it is our destiny, which is to be with God and to share Life with God. And how precious it is our baptism as we enter into this communion of Life with God. That we become the children of God who are waiting to be fully united with God at the end of our lives.
As I reflect on my own baptism, I realized that sometimes I could not appreciate the gift of being "born catholic". I still remember there was one time when someone asked me "Why were you baptized as a catholic?". And I answered him, "Well, I was born catholic, I do not know, I did not choose to be". Well I did not lie.
One day as I am reading the bible, I came across the passage of the Samaritan Woman. I believe that you all know the story. Jesus was sitting at the well and there came a samaritan woman. And jesus asked her "Give me a drink".
And you know the rest of the story, the samaritan woman found that Jesus is the Messiah and the whole town people were converted and believe in Jesus.
One interesting thing is that until the very end, the samaritan woman never give Jesus a drink. Sound ridiculous right? But even when His disciple offered Him a food, Jesus refused and said, "I have food to eat of which you do not know....My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. " John 4:7-34
Then why the first time Jesus asked the woman "Give me a drink"? Why did not jesus take a drink by himself then? Have you ever wonder the same thing?
Jesus knew very well what He is going to do when He said , "Give me a drink". Jesus is the one who calls the samaritan woman and not the samaritan woman who is choosing Jesus. Jesus is the one who took the first step. He is the one who calls and He is the who draws people to Himself.
"Give me a drink" is Jesus personal invitation to the woman so that she may find the true God. Jesus started the conversation. Jesus took the initiatives. He did not interested to drink the water, He is interested to call the samaritan woman.
And how the Bible reminds us when Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. " John 15:16
I did not choose Him, but He chose me.
Brothers and sisters, let us be aware of this wonderful of baptism, the grace of New Life with God. And no matter how we are baptized or for whatever reason it is, Jesus knows what He is doing. Jesus starts the call. Jesus takes the initiatives. We did not choose but Jesus chose. We are simply chosen.
As I end my sharing here, let us all live our baptism daily. To die to ourselves and to live for God, to say no to ourselves and to say Yes to God daily, to say yes to the Life of Love. Let us unite ourselves in His own Life, in His love.
"And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. "
This is the wonder of being part of the Body of Christ, which is the Church. That we, as His Body united with Jesus the Head, receives Life. The head gives life to the Body.
This is what Baptism brings to us, New Life in God. So that we may be one with God, truly one. And this is What God wants from our lives, to be united fully with Him in His Love, to Love and to enjoy His love.
This is what Jesus prayed before He was arrested. This is His prayer for us.
20 I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory which thou hast given me in thy love for me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world has not known thee, but I have known thee; and these know that thou hast sent me.
26 I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."
This is what Jesus wants from us, so that we may be in Him, united through His Body. So that we may enjoy the Love of the Father who is in Jesus, the source and the Giver of Life.
Dearest brothers and sisters, how wonderful it is our christian life, how amazing it is our destiny, which is to be with God and to share Life with God. And how precious it is our baptism as we enter into this communion of Life with God. That we become the children of God who are waiting to be fully united with God at the end of our lives.
As I reflect on my own baptism, I realized that sometimes I could not appreciate the gift of being "born catholic". I still remember there was one time when someone asked me "Why were you baptized as a catholic?". And I answered him, "Well, I was born catholic, I do not know, I did not choose to be". Well I did not lie.
One day as I am reading the bible, I came across the passage of the Samaritan Woman. I believe that you all know the story. Jesus was sitting at the well and there came a samaritan woman. And jesus asked her "Give me a drink".
And you know the rest of the story, the samaritan woman found that Jesus is the Messiah and the whole town people were converted and believe in Jesus.
One interesting thing is that until the very end, the samaritan woman never give Jesus a drink. Sound ridiculous right? But even when His disciple offered Him a food, Jesus refused and said, "I have food to eat of which you do not know....My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. " John 4:7-34
Then why the first time Jesus asked the woman "Give me a drink"? Why did not jesus take a drink by himself then? Have you ever wonder the same thing?
Jesus knew very well what He is going to do when He said , "Give me a drink". Jesus is the one who calls the samaritan woman and not the samaritan woman who is choosing Jesus. Jesus is the one who took the first step. He is the one who calls and He is the who draws people to Himself.
"Give me a drink" is Jesus personal invitation to the woman so that she may find the true God. Jesus started the conversation. Jesus took the initiatives. He did not interested to drink the water, He is interested to call the samaritan woman.
And how the Bible reminds us when Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. " John 15:16
I did not choose Him, but He chose me.
Brothers and sisters, let us be aware of this wonderful of baptism, the grace of New Life with God. And no matter how we are baptized or for whatever reason it is, Jesus knows what He is doing. Jesus starts the call. Jesus takes the initiatives. We did not choose but Jesus chose. We are simply chosen.
As I end my sharing here, let us all live our baptism daily. To die to ourselves and to live for God, to say no to ourselves and to say Yes to God daily, to say yes to the Life of Love. Let us unite ourselves in His own Life, in His love.
"And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. "
posted by Oka | 10:53 pm
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