Arulvakku

10.01.2010 BAPTISM

 "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." Lk 3,22

One would expect the voice to say " I Baptize you in the name…"
A liturgical sacramental formula.
 
But the voice says " "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
The voice speaks of relationship (my son), 
and the outcome of this is happiness, satisfaction, a pleasant feeling.
So Baptism is that of building relationship.
God is pleased, happy and satisfied when there is relationship.
Our God is a God of relationship.
In fact God is relationship (TRINITY).
God demands from the people of Israel to care for orphans, 
widows and strangers.
These three groups of people are 
people who have lost their relations.
Orphans have lost their parents.
Widow has lost her husband.
Strangers have none of their relations
in the land of sojourn.
These are the people who have no relations.
They need relations to live.
God does not want anyone to live without relations.
God wants all persons to be with relations.
Whenever a relationship is expressed or lived 
then there is Baptism.
Through Baptism we relate to God
Through Baptism we relate to the members of the church
Through Baptism we relate all who believe in God
So Baptism is the starting point of building relationships.
That was what the public ministry of Jesus.
He went about saying that all belong to God 
and all are related to God (OUR FATHER…)
and if the relationship was broken he was 
reconciling them and asking them to return to God
This is building up Gods Kingdom.
What is BAPTISM to me?