HOMILY OF THE 2ND MONDAY IN EASTER — YEAR A
HOMILY OF THE 2ND MONDAY IN EASTER — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER, EXCEPT ME
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY OF THE 2ND MONDAY IN EASTER
Nicodemus was a Pharisee and also a member of the Sanhedrin, the governing council of the Jews. He went to see Jesus at night, most probably because he does not want others to see him. Or maybe because during the day Jesus is fully occupied with His preaching and healing ministry, and the only time He is available for a private conversation is when He comes home at night. But on a deeper level, knowing the evangelist John the Apostle, there is some symbolic meaning of darkness. Religious man though he was, Nicodemus must have realized he was in a kind of spiritual darkness. He was in search of the light of truth, and he was convinced Jesus is the Truth and the Light of the World.
His conversation with the Lord gives him great enlightenment, particularly about the proper understanding of the Kingdom of God. Jesus categorically declared, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”
This particular verse, making mention of water and the spirit, is interpreted by most Catholic commentators as directly referring to the Sacrament of Baptism. It is not clear and definite, though, whether Baptism was instituted here, or it was only promised here and afterwards instituted.
Before Jesus began His public ministry, it was His Precursor, John the Baptist, who was baptizing at the Jordan. He declared time and again, “I am not the Messiah.” Asked why he was baptizing, he answered, “I baptize with water, but the Messiah who will come after me will baptize with water and the Holy Spirit.”
Our Lord’s Baptism is in the Holy Spirit. For, according to St. Peter, it is in Baptism that the Holy Spirit is received (Acts 2:38). Hence, St. Paul called it the “bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “Just as a man cannot live in the flesh unless he is born in the flesh, even so a man cannot have the spiritual life of grace unless he is born again spiritually. This regeneration is effected by Baptism.”
Jesus did not only institute the sacrament of Baptism. The Apostle John testifies in his Gospel that during His public ministry, the Lord also baptized many people: “After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing” (Jn 3:22). John the Baptist came to know about this from the report of his own disciples: “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him” (Jn 3:25-26).
The Easter Season is the proper season for baptism. This has been the universal practice of the Church beginning with the early Christians. After a long period of preparation in the catechumenate, the candidates are baptized during the Easter Vigil. And all throughout the season of Easter, the underlying theme is that of the new life received by those who received baptism.
Just as Jesus rose from the dead, so also those who were buried with Him in the waters of baptism are raised to new life. This season, therefore, should be an opportunity for us to reflect on the infinite graces we received in Baptism.
Unfortunately, nowadays, the meaning and necessity of the sacrament of Baptism is not anymore clear for many Catholics . Hardly are they aware that this sacrament is necessary for salvation. Some parents would purposely postpone the baptism of their child without any serious reason. Still many others consider it mainly as a social event and family tradition, failing to appreciate the roles of parents and godparents towards the child being baptized. And worse, there is no formation and guidance from them as the child grows up. The result is truly sad: many Catholics are ‘sacramentalized’, but not evangelized; many are baptized but can hardly be called Christians.
Let this season of Easter be an opportunity for us all to fully appreciate the infinitely precious gift of baptism that transformed us from a child of Adam to a child of God. May this realization impress upon us the urgent need for conversion and renewal of life worthy of our dignity as God’s children.
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>>>
Dear friends in Christ, Your support for the past 12years has kept us going. We ask you to support us with your donations to enable us to upset our “annual bills”. Our priests are willing to offer Holy Masses for your Private Intentions. May you Click on “Next”, or the “Donate” button to get started. God bless you!!!
