Baptism of Our Lord
Last year, a Catholic organisation in the UK, The Centre for Pastoral Practice, published the findings of some recent research. They compared Catholic practice as it existed in the UK in 1950 and practice as it exists today. They had seven times as many Catholic baptisms in 2006 than they had in 1950. And this despite the fact that Church practice had fallen by two thirds in that same time. How do you square that circle? Many are suggesting that the high quality of Catholic education vis a vis the state system may provide the answer. Pupils need baptism certificate to get into Catholic schools. As the Protestant Henry IV said when he converted to Catholicism under duress: 'Paris is worth a Mass'. He would have lost the support of the Paris mob had he not converted. Perhaps in the same way, Johnny citizen in the UK is reaching the conclusion that a good education is worth a baptism! The sacrament of baptism was always a contentious issue in the life of the Church. The debate revolved generally around three controversial topics: 'Why was Jesus baptised?' And 'Why are infants baptised?' "Why do we baptise children from families with no discernible faith and no record of religious practice?" Are we undermining the whole Christian life with this slip-shod attitude?
To get back to the first question: 'Why was Jesus baptised?' After all, the Church teaches that Jesus was born without sin. The Church teaches that baptism is for the removal of Original Sin. How do you square that circle? And it is more difficult still to accept that a newborn baby has a mortal stain on its soul. Now these debates would have been harmless enough had they not influenced radically some Christian practices. Not until St. Augustine in the 5th century was the doctrine of Original Sin developed. So it doesn't make sense to speak of the baptism of Jesus as a removal of original sin from his soul. As we know from the scriptures and early Church documents, adult Baptism by immersion was the norm in the early Church. And it was also the norm to administer baptism just once a year, as part of the Easter Vigil. The adult neophytes, as they were called, began the final stages of their preparations for the sacrament on Ash Wednesday. The progressed through seven stages during the seven weeks of Lent. They then walked naked into the baptismal bath during the Vigil and emerged to be wrapped by their sponsor in a white shawl. Of course that white shawl is retained as a central symbol in the baptism ceremony up to this day. By the time of Augustine, adults and infants seem to have been baptised in equal measure. In fact many scholars believe that Augustine devised the doctrine of original sin to justify the practice of infant baptism. In time it worked: baptism came to be regarded as a ritual removal of original sin.
But such questions -and indeed such answers- seem to me to miss the whole point of the Baptism of Jesus. By plunging into the river Jordan, Jesus was signalling his complete immersion in human experience. He wasn't, as it were, going to remain a spectator on the river bank while human experience flowed by. He would experience life in all its ambiguity, good and evil.
His baptism signalled the beginning of his public life. The baptism of Jesus is a very public event, an action witnessed by an entire community. As happened at our own baptisms, his identity is established, his name is called aloud. Baptism is first and foremost the sacrament of identity.
Up to the reforms of Vatican II, baptism was a private sacrament, indeed often performed in the hospital The primary concern was to wash away original sin from the soul of this little baby. Baptism was no longer seen as a saving entry to a redeeming community but a purification from original sin.
Now, as you will see from the baptism on Lorcan today, Baptism is once again a public event, conducted during the parish Sunday mass. This represents a return to the original understand of the sacrament: an immersion of a new member into the caring Christian community in the presence of the Christian community. The sponsors taken on their responsibility, not on behalf of the parents, but on behalf of the community.
As you will notice, throughout the entire ceremony, the parents, godparents, relatives and members of the parish community rather than the infant are addressed. In addressing the adults present, the communal nature of the sacrament is stressed. The community rejoices in this new addition to its membership; but it also accepts its responsibilities towards this new member. The sacrament of baptism has been re-established once again at the centre of the assembled parish community.