My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ God,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
BAPTISM IS THE MYSTERION (SACRAMENT) OF ILLUMINATION OR
ENLIGHTENMENT.
"For it is impossible for those who were once ENLIGHTENED, and
have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the
Holy Spirit" (Hebrews 6:4).
"But recall the former days in which, after you WERE ILLUMINATED,
you endured a great struggle with sufferings" (Hebrews 10:32).
"Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ WILL GIVE YOU LIGHT" (Ephesians 5:14).
Jesus speaking to Soul (Paul) on the road to Damascus, says, "I will deliver you from the
Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send
you, TO OPEN YOUR EYES, IN ORDER TO TURN THEM FROM
DARKNESS TO LIGHT, AND FROM THE POWER OF SATAN TO
GOD, THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND AN
INHERITANCE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE SANCTIFIED BY FAITH
IN Me" (Acts 26:17-18).
"For it is the God Who commanded LIGHT to shine out of darkness,
Who has shone in our hearts to give the LIGHT of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6)
In the first place in the series of Mysteries (Sacraments) of our Holy Orthodox Church stands the Mystery (Sacrament) of Baptism. It serves as the door leading into the Kingdom of Grace, and it grants access to participation in the other Sacred Mysteries. Speaking to Nicodemus our Lord indicated THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY OF BAPTISM FOR SALVATION: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." And He went on to explain what He stated. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:3-6). In Baptism the new believer receives the Grace of God within him, united with his soul, as Adam had it before the Fall.
Saint Symeon the New Theologian writes concerning the saving fruits of this Mystery: "There has come another birth, or REBIRTH, which REGENERATES MAN THROUGH Holy Baptism by the Holy Spirit, again unites him with the Divine Nature as it was when he was created by the hands of God, RESTORES ALL THE POWERS OF HIS SOUL, RENEWS THEM AND BRINGS THEM TO THE CONDITION IN WHICH THEY WERE BEFORE THE TRANSGRESSION OF FIRST-CREATED Adam; in this way, IT LEADS INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, INTO WHICH NO ONE UNBAPTIZED CAN ENTER, AND ENLIGHTENS HIM WITH ITS LIGHT AND GRANTS HIM TO TASTE ITS JOYS. Thus each one who is baptized BECOMES AGAIN SUCH AS ADAM WAS BEFORE THE TRANSGRESSION, AND IS LED INTO THE NOETIC PARADISE AND RECEIVES THE COMMANDMENT TO WORK IT AND KEEP IT–TO WORK IT BY FULFILLMENT OF THE COMMANDMENTS OF JESUS CHRIST WHO HAS RECREATED HIM, AND TO KEEP IT BY THE KEEPING OF THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM THROUGH HOLY BAPTISM, CONFESSING THAT THE POWER OF THE GRACE WHICH DWELLS IN HIM FULFILLS TOGETHER WITH HIM THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST" (First-Created Man, p. 71).
To walk in the Light is to walk in one’s baptism. In the Church, the baptized ae one humanity, one flesh with Christ. "Do you not know that as many of you were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection" (Romans 6:3-5). Because of ignorance many are miserably defeated in their battle against sin. What our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ accomplished on the Cross–an actual and real death to sin–BAPTISM is to us AN ACTUAL and REAL DEATH TO SIN, A LIBERRATION FROM IT. Therefore, in our union with Christ THROUGH BAPTISM, in His death and Resurrection, lies the power for victory over the law, the power of sin. In this sense baptism is an exact likeness to Christ’s death on the Cross. Baptism is our Cross! There we tap into the power of the God to say no to sin’s commands and temptations.
In our union with Christ through baptism we are also raised with Him to share His Resurrection. As He will never die again, so there is no second baptism. We lay hold on our one baptism and continue in communion with God. At the Mystery of Baptism we pray: "O Master of All, show forth this water, a water of redemption, a water of sanctification, a purification of body and soul, a loosening of bonds, a forgiveness of transgressions, AN ILLUMINATION OF SOULS, a washing of regeneration, a renewal of spirit, a gift of sonship, a garment of incorruption, a fountain of life…". Also, the blessing at the Mystery of Chrismation: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord God Almighty, the Source of Goodness, the Sun of Righteousness, Who lightedst up for those in darkness the Light of Salvation, through the manifestation of Thine Only-Begotten Son and our God, and Who grantest to us who are unworthy, blessed purification through Holy Baptism, and Divine sanctification through Thy Life-Giving anointing; Who has also now been pleased to regenerate Thy servant NEWLY ILLUMINED through water and the Spirit and has granted him forgiveness of his voluntary and involuntary sins. Do Thou, O compassionate Master, King of All, grant to him also the Seal of the Gift of Thine Holy, All-Powerful, and Worshipful Spirit, and the PARTICIPATION OF THE Holy Body and of the Precious Blood of Thy Christ…". Then, after the priest has administered Holy Communion to all the communicants, the chanter sings: "We HAVE SEEN THE TRUE Light, we have received the Heavenly Spirit, we have found the True Faith by worshipping the Undivided Trinity; FOR THIS HAS SAVED US." We solemnly rejoice and confess that by receiving the Eucharist we have also been illuminated. Christ God, Our Divine Savior, not only delivers us from the tyranny of human weakness, but also crowns us with Eternal Life. Baptism is the beginning of Eternal life.
The Mystery of Baptism frees us from being "slaves of sin" and makes us servant of God IF WE CONTINUE WITH A WILLING SPIRIT AND SUBMISSIVENESS TO GOD. Therefore, if we, Orthodox Christians, are to keep God’s illumination within us undiminished and bright, we must continue our struggle against the sinful passions. We are no longer to sin as those who sinned during the period of ancient law. That we must never defect from grace and return to our former life. Our battle against the powers of evil is real and difficult but we have been given the weapons of war to triumph over the ruler of this world. Let us, therefore, keep our light bright and strong! Let us not allow darkness to overtake us and defeat us. Slavery to God, initiated in baptism, is true freedom. Salvation is a process of transformation from sinner to Saint. We ARE SAVED THROUGH BAPTISM, and we are being saved, that is, being transformed by the Uncreated Grace of God to be like Him, in anticipation of Eternal life.
_________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysotomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 