Praised be Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
“The water I shall give will
become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (Ang tubig na
ibibigay ko ay magiging bukal sa loob niya, babalong, at magbibigay sa kanya ng
buhay na walang hanggan.) The Samaritan woman wondered how the Lord was going
to give her this living water when in fact the Lord did not even have a bucket
to use to draw water from the well. Little did she realize that the Lord Jesus
was not referring to the water from the well. Rather the Lord was referring to
the water that would flow with his blood on Good Friday. As Moses struck the
rock in Horeb and from it flowed water, so also the soldier would strike the
side of our Lord and from his wounded side would flow blood and water. This
water would be the life-giving water of Baptism.
We all know water as a
life-giving element. All living creatures need water to survive. But seldom do
we think of water as an agent of death…and yet the evidences are all around
us…Yolanda and Ondoy are some of the names that would remind us that water,
being an agent of life, can also be an agent of death. And the waters of
Baptism inflict on us both death and life. St. Paul said that all who are
baptized are buried together with Christ. Baptism gives us all a share in the
death of the Lord. The old Adam dies and is buried in the waters of baptism.
But this is so in order that we may receive the Holy Spirit. St. Paul says that
we are buried with Christ so that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead
will raise us up together with him. We are buried in Christ in order to rise
with him. The Old Adam dies so that we might rise up as a new creation.
The miracle of death and life in
the sacrament of Baptism is made possible by the Holy Spirit whom we receive
through the saving waters. The waters of Baptism are called life giving waters
because they are Spirit-filled. Being Spirit-filled, the baptismal waters give
life because the Holy Spirit is Lord and Giver of Life. The waters of Baptism
give to us the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life. Thus, St. Paul says: “The love of God has been poured upon us
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” As baptismal water is
poured, so the Holy Spirit is given to us. And the Holy Spirit gives life.
Thus, we should not take Baptism
for granted. It is not just a social ritual that our children have to pass
through in order conform to social norms. Baptism is rebirth by water and the
Spirit. He who does not receive the Holy Spirit is spiritually dead because he
has not received the Breath of Life from the Giver of Life. And the life that
he gives is eternal life. The baptismal water is the “spring of water welling
up unto eternal life.” Baptism is the door of eternal life. No one can enter
into the Kingdom of God unless he be born of water and the Holy Spirit. Thus,
we should be grateful for being baptized. Also, we should never procrastinate
the baptism of our children. Like the Samaritan woman, we should eagerly ask
the Lord: “Sir, give me this water…” I want this eternal life for myself. I
want my children to have it too. Allow us to draw water constantly from this
fount of salvation. We know for ourselves that truly, you are the Savior of the
world!
Jesus, I trust in you! O Mary,
conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
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