Categories
Archbishop’s Teaching

3rd Sunday after Epiphany

Homily of His Excellency, Selim Sfeir, Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus (John 3 : 1-16)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”

This Sunday invites us to meditate upon the beautiful sacrament of Baptism. “Holy Baptism holds the first place among the Sacraments because it is the door of the spiritual life, for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated with the Church.”- Pope Eugene IV The Decree for the Armenians (Council of Florence).

This beautiful Sacrament is an open invitation to all nations to enter the Kingdom of God. No one is excluded except those who obstinately refuse this grace of faith.

St. Paul in his epistle to the Galatians teaches us the great power of this Sacrament, saying that now, in Baptism, there is no longer Jew nor Greek, but all are one in Christ. He reveals that this new identity in Christ is greater than any ethnic division. At the time of St. Paul’s writing, the Jewish people still had an identity that exulted their exclusivity: God chose them, they had a Temple, a priesthood, and a sacrifice. All this would change because of their disastrous decision of Good Friday to reject Jesus Christ. And because of this rejection of the Logos Incarnate, the source of their national identity, the Temple in Jerusalem, was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. After that cataclysmic event, the Jews had a choice to make either seek Baptism in Christ and become part of the new Israel, the new chosen people, or create a new religion. They had no way to fulfil the Mosaic covenant and therefore had to create a new religion based upon sayings (and disputes) of the Pharisees. To this day, a great confusion covers their identity as they persist in believing they are the chosen people.

The Catholic Church, by Baptism, is the new Israel, the new chosen people of God. This identity is open to all people, of all ethnic identities and all races in every generation. This doctrine is called supersessionism and has always been believed in by the Church.
It is only in recent years that this doctrine has been obscured. We must all work together to correct this.

What makes us special is baptism, not DNA, not genetic characteristics, not ethnic superiority, nor even theological/historical events from the past … none of these accidental's matter. Baptism is the only doorway to a true and complete identity. It heals our wounded nature, and it reveals the saving Love of God. This gift should never allow us to have any kind of superiority complex but rather humble us. God has chosen us, yes, but we have been given a great responsibility to bring as many people as possible to the Sacrament of Baptism. The greater the gift, the greater the responsibility.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, I offer to you all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day that you may grant the grace of Holy Baptism to many many more people.

 

† Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *