Every year, especially in a parish, we may have a good number of neophytes (that is, those who have just been baptised and confirmed during the Easter Vigil). I believe most of us would have been quite happy and joyful to have new members in our church community. But the question which often lingers in my mind is this: how many of these neophytes, also how many of us who have been baptised, whether recently or quite some time back, have really had a transformation from our old selves, or our old ways, to a new self or a new way?
In today's
Gospel, Jesus tells us: "I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born
from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." At baptism, we were
supposed to have been transformed from our old identity, to a new identity filled with the
Spirit and given new life. However, some of us may be
baptised and supposingly born again, but the way we live our lives do
not seem to bear witness that we have really changed. Some of us
continue to behave as we were before, doing things as we have been
doing, living lives just like old times, as if nothing has really changed. Jesus reminds us in today's Gospel: "‘I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God: what is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the
Spirit is spirit." We may be born of the flesh, but have we really been
born of the Spirit? Have we become witnesses and joyful proclaimers of
the Good News, or have we been complacent and unappreciative of the gift
God has given us? May we keep the fire of our faith burning, and not slack but redouble our efforts, as we make effort to live new lives in the Spirit.
No comments:
Post a Comment