Class scheduled for Nov 16, 2019
From Michael Ruse:
Alexander Schmemann in Of Water and Spirit, said, “When the real fight begins the bright and colorful uniform is of no use and is replaced with battle fatigues.” What does baptism and battle have in common? Metropolitan Hilarion quotes him to explain that the fight for our own soul begins with baptism and chrismation.
In St. Cyril of Jerusalem’s Catechetical Lectures, he exhorts catechumens to take confidence in the sacraments, “the devils tremble and angels recognize the seal of the Holy Spirit’s saving seal.” In the Orthodox understanding of baptism and chrismation, these entry sacraments into the Church require the body, physical elements like water and oil, and also a believing heart of the newly illumined Christian. Why do we have to use water and oil? St. Cyril of Jerusalem says in anticipation that water purifies the body and the Holy Spirit the soul. We are saved body and soul, since God made both of them to be unified.
The Fathers of the Church understood water’s symbolism well. It was a “noble elements” of the world along with earth, wind and fire. It is also rich in symbolism when the Scriptures are read in line with Orthodox Christian services of baptism and chrismation. Genesis and the Holy Spirit, Elijah and his river crossing, the Red Sea, and the Jordan all contain water as a washing and new, good beginning, not to mention the ritual washing of clothing in Leviticus and Numbers. But baptism is also a Janus word, which has a dual meaning. It signifies both life and death. That’s what Christian baptism does: we die in Christ and we are given life in the Holy Spirit.
In Greek, baptism means, a plunging or immersion. We’re plunged into death just as Christ Jesus was plunged into Hades and resurrected from the dead. We are dead to passions in baptism. Not only that, but we are also dead to a sinful way of looking at ourselves, the world and people. We’re then sealed in the Holy Spirit to live a spiritual life. But nowadays we might forget that we also have to denounce another way of life that is based on our former sinful life and the author of the first sin, the devil himself. This renunciation of Satan explains why we are exorcised at baptism and chrismation and when we become a catechumen. We have to know not only the good that we stand for but the evil that stands against us before and after baptism. We also have to believe that “the mystical seal” will be recognized by the Master at the end of time.
This chapter also explores other questions like, how many baptisms are there? Is it a good idea to delay baptism or baptize infants who do not intellectually understand baptism? Other forms of baptism are recognized: martyrdom by blood, repentance and the gift of tears, and by the Holy Spirit.
Chrismation, Chrism and Christ are etymologically related to each other in the Greek language. We are anointed with holy oil called chrism and Christ means Anointed. The other topics of the chapter cover rituals and sacraments associated with baptism and chrismation such as formulae, order of the service, choosing a baptismal name, white robes, water blessing, immersion, anointing of the oil, baptismal procession, and the symbolism of the eighth day tonsure of the catechumen. Join us all this Saturday at 4:00p.m. and find out how to prepare and enter into the Church, into the battle, and into a new spiritual life that is as real as the elements of the world.