Unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. John 3:5-6
Each of my six kids was baptized within a few weeks of their birth. I was so caught up in the throes of new motherhood that I have only hazy memories of the two most important events in their lives—their birth in the flesh and their birth in the spirit. Fortunately, in the Mass we relive our baptism again and again. We cross ourselves with holy water as we enter the sanctuary. We confess our belief during the creed. We repent of our sins, and in the liturgy of the Eucharist, the priest adds a dash of water to the wine that will become our spiritual drink—the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. These rituals make spiritual realities visible, and they remind us that being born again is something we can do every day.
Elizabeth Duffy
Originally published April 28, 2014
