Cancao Nova: The Grace of Baptism

3/28/2004 - 9:00 AM PST

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by Fr. Jonas Abib
Founder Cancao Nova

The impressive number of men and women who thrive in the grace of their Baptism, like �trees planted near streams of water� (Psalm 1,3), give the world a testimony of happiness, faith and charity and help in preparing �New Skies over a New Earth�.

The foundation for that is Baptism. The Gospel invites us to that new life, fruit of our Baptism: �Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life (Romans 6,3-4).

We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin. If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him� (Romans 6,6-8).

Christians have in themselves the life of the Dead and Resurrected Christ and that has deep consequences in their life: the first consequence is that God becomes the big and final horizon to their decision-making; He is even bigger than all their most cherished feelings towards their beloved ones: the way they love is amplified because they are able to see people in the same way God sees and this makes them grow and live in plenitude.

The second consequence is that their life is always taken in the shade of the cross. More than that, they embrace and carry their daily cross. It can only be a cross if Christians are enlightened by that kind of love that made Christ give Himself unto us.

The third consequence is that they will be always at the service of their fellowmen, for baptized people cannot live just for themselves.

There is more joy in giving than in receiving, thus it is clear that the Lord instantaneously gives back a hundredfold to those who decide to walk along the old, though always new, pathway of serving their fellowmen.

Contact

Cancao Nova
http://www.cancaonova.com/english TX, US
Fr. Jonas Abib - founder, 817 431-8512

Email

eua@cancaonova.com

Keywords

Baptism

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