The Water of Baptism

The Church celebrates the life-giving power of the waters of Baptism. The priest blesses the water, then plunges the Eastern candle into the water of the baptismal font to show that Jesus is present.

During the liturgy of Baptism,the priest baptizes someone who has been prepared for it earlier. The whole congregation renews its baptismal vows and sings the Liturgy of the Saints.

Water is a symbol of life and death. The stories in the old Testament show that water has the power to destroy life.

In the New Testament, water was made into a life-giving symbol. Jesus did this when He was Baptized in the Jordan River. John the Baptist also did this when he baptized people to give them hope for salvation.

The Word of God

We listen to the readings from the Bible. The readings remind us of God's saving love and of His promise to send a Messiah. They also remind us of all the good things God has done for us. We respond by singing psalms about God.

The Apostles must have been sad and frightened after the death of Jesus. To forget their sadness and fear, they must have exchanged stories about the things Jesus told them in the past. They must have sung psalms, too, to keep their spirits up.