Daily Reflection – 4/29/19
Sacred Scripture
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, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 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.”( John 3:1-8)
Reflection
Are you born again? This is a common question among many of the evangelical Christians. But it’s a question that we should ask ourselves also. And what does that exactly mean?
Hopefully each one of us answers that question with a wholehearted “Yes!” Scripture is clear that we must receive a new birth in Christ. The old self must die and the new self must be reborn. This is what it means to become a Christian. We take on a new life in Christ.
Being born again happens by water and the Holy Spirit. It happens in baptism. When we are baptized we enter into the waters and die with Christ. As we rise from the waters we are reborn in Him. This means that baptism does something truly amazing in us. It means that, as a result of our baptism, we are adopted into the very life of the Most Holy Trinity. Baptism, for most of us, happened when we were infants. It’s one of those things we do not think about very often. But we should.
Baptism is a sacrament that has an ongoing and eternal effect in our lives. It implants an indelible character upon our souls. This “character” is a constant source of grace in our lives. It is like a well of grace that never goes dry. From this well we are constantly nourished and renewed to live out the dignity we are called to live. We are given from this well the grace we need to live as sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven.
Being born again reflects a recommitment of that grace. It’s stepping forward and claiming that grace. It’s stepping out and proclaiming that grace. It’s embracing that grace and using that grace to wear visibly. So visibly that our persona does change. It changes from the blush of rediscovering all that is meant by receiving the fullness of our baptism.
Reflect, today, upon your own Baptism. Easter is a time more than any when we are called to renew this Sacrament. Baptism has made you into a new creation. Seek to both understand and live that new life you have been given during this Easter season.
Prayer of The Day
Heavenly Father, I renew today my baptism. I forever renounce sin and profess my faith in Christ Jesus Your Son. Give me the grace I need to live out the dignity to which I have been called. Jesus, I trust in You.
Daily Note
If the things that flow from the heart can defile a man, so too the things that flow from the heart can sanctify a man. The eyes are also the apparatus of the heart. The eyes will focus on what the heart treasures. Christ stated it so clearly: “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in your eye is darkness, how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:22).
