For Christians, baptism is the foundation of the Church. Because the Church, that is, the community of believers in Christ, is not just an organization for spreading the teaching of Christ and for mutual help and support. It is the unity in Christ of all those who have received the gift of new life and the forgiveness of sins from Christ. The unity of faith-knowing, that is, accepting Christ as God and as Savior. The unity of love for Him, and in Him – for each other. Scattered all over the world, among all nations, the Church constitutes a new people of God, united not by blood and flesh, not by earthly interests, like a state or a nation, not by language and even not by a common historical destiny, but a people united by faith in Christ, love for Him and the experience-knowing of His presence: “I am with you always, to the end of the age”.
On earth, a person is born a member of a certain people or nation. A Christian, however, is born and enters into the new people of God through baptism. “The water of baptism,” writes one Christian, “is for us both a grave and a mother”. A grave, because in this water dies a person limited only by the earthly and material, only “flesh and blood”. A mother, because in the water a new person is born, forgiven, cleansed, reborn, who lives here and now with a new and eternal life… People constantly come to Christ, hear His voice, give Him their heart, their love, their life. This self-giving to Christ is baptism (entering into Marriage with Christ, the Bridegroom). Having given themselves to Him (as a bride), they receive from Him His life. His self-giving to us. And this self-giving of Christ to us is baptism (the realization of Marriage in mutual faithfulness of the Faithful and man).
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“Christians are not born, they become.” Early Christian writings of the 2nd century speak most of all about Baptism and the Eucharist. (In all churches, as on the first day in Jerusalem, we primarily see Christians “gathered in the Church” – for Baptism and the Eucharist. This dual Sacrament of birth from water and the Spirit and the breaking of Bread defines the whole life of the Church and the life of each of its members. This is not one of the “aspects” of church life, not just a service – it is the source, content, and summit of everything in the Church, the very heart of “early Christianity”). And this means that the memory of each of them could not fail to be imprinted with that day when, after the mysterious growth of the seed sown in the soul by the preaching, after doubts, tests, torments (that is, everything that precedes the entrance into marriage, – catechesis, meetings with everything inherent in this responsible labor), – he finally approached the water of the Sacrament (the entrance into Marriage with Christ, that is, Baptism). In it, the old life was to die, so that a new one could begin. In it, everything was given at once: forgiveness of sins, union with Christ, confidence in the death of death itself, the experience of resurrection and eternal joy that no one could take away. And all this was not an abstraction, not an “ideology”, but a reality (knowing): coming out of the holy water, the newly baptized did not remain alone (this would be complete absurdity, about which we wrote in part II, – a wedding with oneself, to be married?!). She (the water of the Sacrament of entering into Marriage) introduced him into brotherhood (the children of the Father), into the unity of Love, into unceasing communion. This is the eternal meaning of the Eucharist: always through Christ (the Bridegroom, the Savior) with brothers and sisters (the Body of Christ). One Bread, one Cup, given to all (and accepted by all!) and uniting everyone into one. A remembrance that turns into reality: expectation – into Presence. And how should the words of Thanksgiving (Eucharist), which have come down to us from that ancient time – the period of the youth of the Church, spoken by the leader over the presented gifts: “We thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge that You have revealed to us through Your Servant Jesus. Glory to You forever. Just as this bread was scattered over the mountains and, being gathered, became one, so may Your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth into Your Kingdom… Remember her, to deliver her from all evil and complete her in Your love, gather her sanctified, from the four winds into Your Kingdom, which You have prepared for her”. From resurrection (Sunday, the eighth day) to resurrection, from Eucharist to Eucharist: the whole life of the baptized (married to Christ, Christ’s) was from now on marked by this expectation of gathering, meeting, communion, joyful fulfillment of love (in the Sacrament of intimate communion with the Bridegroom-Church). Even though everything external remained the same, even though life (being in the realm of leather garments, in part II) was filled with affairs and cares as before (before baptism). In the experience of Baptism and the Eucharist, everything is now illuminated (shone upon) by a new light, filled with it, transformed by love (everything has become life in Christ, for Christ and by Christ!). Every day, every deed in it was a step on the path to the final victory of the Coming Lord, every gathering (Eucharist) already gave the experience-knowing of the ultimate (eschaton) unity in love – at the Feast in the unending day of the Kingdom (which has already come for Christ’s (Christians) and is coming for “this world”, when God will be all in all).