Do you remember your own baptism? I wish I could. I envy the adults I have seen baptized at the Easter Vigil. Hopefully, they experience what St. Paul says in the epistle we hear at the Vigil. For Paul, Baptism is a sign of dying and rising to new life. Does that mean we will rise from the dead, too?
Yes, but that is not his main point. If all we think about is our physical death, and hope we go to heaven afterwards, we’re missing the point. The new life starts with our baptism, not just our physical death. The water is both cleansing and a sign of dying (symbolic drowning) that help us see we are free from sin. We are dead to sin when we begin to live in Christ. The fictional Klingons have a saying “today is a good day to die” to express courage in battle. But real Christians might say that Easter is a good day to die to sin and live in Christ.
How do we experience this dying to sin? First, we identify the sinful areas of our life. Do I watch movies, or video games that encourage promiscuity, revenge, or selfishness? What sins do I confess repeatedly and what can I do to avoid them? As for living in Christ: Can I spend less time entertaining myself and more time in prayer? Instead of complaining about what is wrong with the world, can I find ways to make it better? These are a few of the ways we begin our new life in Christ.
Tom Schmidt, Diocesan Publications
Readings: Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter | USCCB
Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord | USCCB