Part 3

How can water do such great things?

Water doesn't make these things happen, of course. It is God's Word, which is with and in the water. Without God's Word, the water is plain water and not Baptism. But with God's Word it is a Baptism, a grace-filled water of life, a bath of new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul said to Titus in the third chapter:

”Through this bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which was poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that we, justified by the same grace are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.'' (Titus 3:4-8)

Those words give a marvelous rationale for copious waters, a huge font, with a fountain perhaps, for the effect of running waters—anything to get beyond the minimalist “birdbaths” we currently are afflicted with in our sanctuaries, if indeed, you can even find the thing! Let there be abundant water as a sign of the grace of God “abundantly” poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, in the gift of the Holy Spirit, often called the “living water”.

For the abundant waters to convey the abundant grace, there needs to be a clear Word spoken. And that’s why the Baptismal liturgy, especially as dramatically ritualized at the Easter Vigil is so important. No more private Baptisms! The Word is more than a verse from the Bible. The Word is proclaim liturgically in the assembly of the people and the people themselves, in faith, become signs of the Word, surrounding and dwelling in the waters—and all of this, every last drop of it, is God’s work!

Alleluia!

Prayer

God of the waters, cleanse us, drown us, and give us new life through our Baptism. Help us live “wet”. Enable us to make a splash in the world! Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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