What is the meaning of such a water Baptism?
It means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, in turn, a new person daily come forth and rise from death again. He will live forever before God in righteousness and purity.
Where is this written?
St. Paul says to the Romans in chapter six:
We are buried with Christ through Baptism into death, so that, in the same way Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, thus also must we walk in a new life." (Romans 6:4)
Prayer
Lord Jesus, in your cross and resurrection we find the meaning of life and Life itself. Send your Spirit anew among us, that we might die and rise to new life, and thrive as the church; in your name we ask this. Amen.
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In this I sense the wisdom of the contemporary statement, “Insanity is to keep on doing the same old thing, expecting different results.” In our family life, how many times have we tried to force someone else to change—and they do not, and they will not. In the church, how many times have we tried to hold onto the “safety” of the old by just working harder and harder to make it work, when it never will! In terms of how things are out in the world, how many days a week to we get angry, but nothing changes no matter how mad we get. But we keep on getting mad. Truly, this is crazy—and sin. Give it up. Surrender.
Dying and rising, dying and rising, each day a new beginning, each evening a time to reflect and ask God’s forgiveness for where we’ve messed up and to offer thanks for where things went well, and always letting our egos go in order that Christ might enter in more fully: that’s the meaning of baptism for daily life, for churchly life, for all of life.
Die. And then you’ll truly live! Alleluia!