THE WATER OF BAPTISM

Leprosy is a sickness that speaks to us of sin. In today’s 1st reading, Elisha a prophet from the Old Testament speaks to us of the necessity of the sacrament of baptism. These words of Elisha, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” caused Naaman to be cured of leprosy as he went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. It was followed by his profession of faith when he returned to Elisha and on his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” This is a prefigurement of the sacrament of baptism as the church invites us to wash and be clean and the soul of a person becomes like an innocent child when plunged into the waters of baptism an asked to profess our faith. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1257 it is stated, “The Lord himself affirms that Baptism is necessary for salvation. (Jn 3:5) He also commands his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to all nations and to baptize them. (Mt 28:19-20) Baptism is necessary for salvation for those to whom the Gospel has been proclaimed and who have had the possibility of asking for this sacrament. (Mk 16:16) The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude; this is why she takes care not to neglect the mission she has received from the Lord to see that all who can be baptized are "reborn of water and the Spirit." God has bound salvation to the sacrament of Baptism, but he himself is not bound by his sacraments.” The Lord Himself affirms that baptism is necessary for salvation as he spoke to Nicodemus in John 3. The Church does not neglect this mission and it is imperative for us that we proclaim the gospel to all the nations not with a sense of indifference. We are not asked to force the gospel to anybody, the Church has given a command to go and teach about Jesus and have a deeper relationship with Him. The Jordan river is beautiful because this is the water that Jesus stepped into, He has sanctified the water. The Jordan is beautiful because of our faith. We recognize it because of Jesus’ encounter with the water. As we can see in the 1st reading that Naaman refused at first and expected to do something extraordinary. This is how we are, how foolish we can be at times. If he was asked to do something extraordinary he would have followed right away and yet when asked to do something that seem so plain and simple, he refused. Jesus came to us a simple man and did great things. The act of washing is very common. For whoever is brought to the fount of baptism, seems so plain but can do something tremendous to our souls. Through the union of Christ and His church there is power in the pond of baptism. One of the effects of baptism is described in what happened to Naaman. Leprosy can cause the flesh to rot and stink. Our soul rots and stink of hell and we can’t free ourselves of that unless we are baptized. It is dependent on the power of God, this need for cleansing. Jesus says come to this pond and become cleansed and by faith we know what happens to our soul. The flesh of a little child is soft and clean. Everybody loves a baby and this grown man (Naaman) is made that way, the same thing happens to our soul, it is made brand new. As CCC, 1213 states, “Holy Baptism is the basis of all Christian life. Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water and in the word." Amen. Hallelujah!

2 Kings 5:1-15
1 Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had captured from the land of Israel in a raid a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. 3 “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 Naaman went and told his lord just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 “Go,” said the king of Aram. “I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments. 6 To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed, “Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 The prophet sent him the message, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy. 12 Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left. 13 But his servants came up and reasoned with him. “My father,” they said, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said.” 14 So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.”


Psalms 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4
R: Athirst is my soul for the living God. When shall I go and behold the face of God?
1 [2] As the hind longs for the running waters, so my soul longs for you, O God.

Luke 4:24-30
...there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”