TO PUT ON CHRIST

TO PUT ON CHRIST Fr Luke A Veronis Yesterday we baptized little Elizabth “Ella” Fahling, the daughter of Olivia and Oliver and granddaughter of Charolotte and Neal Neslusan. As a part of the baptismal service, we walked around the font singing, “As many as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia.” This is also the hymn we sing at the Christmas Liturgy and on Holy Saturday morning Liturgy in place of the “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us.” We sing it because traditionally this is when the Church does the baptisms of the catechumens. Now, I’m sure most of us don’t remember our own baptism because we were baptized as infants. Yet every time we attend a baptism, as well as every year when we celebrate the baptism of Christ on January 6th, the feast of Epiphany which we are now celebrating, we have a special opportunity to reflect on the meaning of our baptism. Christ’s baptism was a Theophany, an appearance of God as Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus wasn’t baptized because He needed to have his sins forgiven. He simply was fulfilling all righteousness. We, however, should reflect on our baptism and ask ourselves, “What does it mean? We have been baptized and mystically “put on Christ,” and yet, have we practically adorned ourselves with Jesus Christ? What does it mean to “put on Christ?” Have we allowed Jesus to become a part of every aspect of our lives? “To put on Christ” means to adopt His worldview, to accept His way of life, to follow His teachings in every part of our lives, and to embrace the new reality that our life is not our own, but it is His! Our faith is all about becoming a new creation. The old passes away and we become new. The old fallen nature into which we were born and its power over our lives has passed away through our baptism. Yes, we will still have the temptations of our fallen nature that lead us toward egocentric desires, anger, greed, hatred, lust and other such vices, yet these vices no longer control us when we put on Christ. When we embrace and live in the light of our baptismal grace, when we allow His grace to flow through our lives, we discover the inspiration and power to live according to God’s desires. We truly become Christians, or little Christs, in the world. Our baptism is more than simply a ritual of membership, or an act of entrance into the Body of the Church. Our baptism is a deep mystery that marks the beginning of our life-long journey of salvation. It is a journey of purification, illumination, and deification. It’s not simply confessing a belief in Jesus but putting on Christ means committing our life to Him as our Lord and Master and striving to imitate His life in ours. Through baptism our sins are forgiven, but more than that, we begin our union with God. Baptism can be seen as a TOMB and a WOMB - death to our fallen nature and New Life, a New Beginning as we put on Christ. Our baptism is our moment of being born again, born anew, born from on high. In Baptism, we enter spiritual warfare and put on Christ as our armor. Now, some may question why we do infant baptism because infants aren’t able to make any decision themselves and they don’t even know what they are doing. That’s true. Of course, parents make every decision for their infant children at that point of their life. And the mystery of baptism is not simply something parents decide to do for their children; it is a gift that God offers to us. Since baptism is the beginning of a new life in Christ, a life where we will continually grow in His likeness, then age should not be a factor in Baptism. We want our infant children to begin that process from the beginning of their lives. Thus, infant baptism is the natural consequence of a Christian family raising its youth.  St. John Chrysostom writes that infants are not baptized because they are born sinful, but so that they may be given the future gifts of God! Baptism isn't a magical tool with which to enter heaven, but it is a beginning. As the theologian John Romanides explains, ”It is clear that after baptism, we are still subject to the possibility of falling into the hands of the devil and being cut off from the body of Christ. Baptism is no magical guarantee against the possibility that we can again become a slave to the devil and be cut off from the body of Christ. Through baptism, however, we declare unconditional war against the devil and his powers of division and corruption. And this war is continued in the corporate life of the Eucharist.” Thus, through our Baptism and Chrismation, we receive the gift of salvation. God offers us new birth and new life. He is faithful in His promise.  We ourselves, however, must choose to remain faithful in our baptismal grace throughout our lives. This brings us to the words of Saint Paul in the Epistle reading today which he writes at the end of his life: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” We also must make it a priority to live out our baptismal grace, to fight the good spiritual fight and to run in a way where we finish the race into the Kingdom of Heaven. Our journey of faith means nothing if we begin a race at our baptism and then give up before the end. It means little if we are fervent for a time and excited about the race in the middle of life and then we drift away. Our journey with Christ is a life-long journey that continues into paradise. We must remain vigilant and attentive to the divine grace within us. We must struggle and fight, at times being injured, at times being exhausted, at times being tempted to give up or unconsciously drift away. We may even actually fall away for a time. But when we become aware of falling away, we then need to repent, confess, and get back up, continuing the journey. As we struggle to stay rooted in our baptismal grace and putting on Christ, remember to keep His Good News at the center of our faith. Good News of Great Joy! Good News of the forgiveness of our sins! Good News of our union with God. Good News of the power, comfort and inspiration that the Holy Spirit gives us. Good News that for "as many of us that are baptized in Christ have put on Christ." This lifelong journey of faith, from the moment of our baptism to the present moment of life, is our greatest blessing and treasure in life. Value it and thank God daily for "the crown of righteousness which the Lord awards to all who love His appearing." As many as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ. Alleluia!