"Born Again"
Today's Mass Readings
In today’s gospel reading Jesus is speaking to the Pharisee Nicodemus about baptism. Although Nicodemus a Pharisees, he became a follower of Jesus. He recognized, as this passage makes clear, that Jesus came from God and that God was with Him. Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born from above, or, as some translations read, born again. Nicodemus is confused. How can someone be born who is already old and was already born so long ago? It might be interesting to note here that initially, Nicodemus came to meet Jesus “at night” (Jn 3:2). In John’s gospel night indicates a certain secretiveness. However, he must have followed Jesus very closely during his ministry because by the end of the gospel, Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea helped to bury Jesus. He has moved from being a secret disciple of Jesus and come out into the open. Indeed, Perhaps, Nicodemus by now had understood the meaning of being “born again.”
In his reply to Nicodemus, Jesus explains that the birth to which He was referring to involves both water and the Spirit - baptism. That Jesus is speaking about baptism is confirmed by the fact that the full passage in the Gospel of John ends with Jesus and His disciples going out and baptizing (John 3:22). It is the Spirit of God that breathes life.
At our baptism we receive the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, God dwells within us. It is this life that enables us to live out the gospel. Easter is a wonderful season to reflect on our own baptism. Many of us were baptized as infants, entering the life of the Church on the coattails of our parents’ and godparents’ faith. Some of us were baptized as adults, as converts to the Catholic faith. In each instance, our faith is tied up with our baptism. Ultimately, our baptism should lead us to the same place that Nicodemus ended up in – a firm believer and a true disciple of Christ. Since we have been raised with Christ through our baptism, let us rejoice this Easter and strive ever more to live out Christ’s message in our lives.