Born Again

Today’s Gospel Text: 'You must be born anew.' 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." 9 Nicode'mus said to him, "How can this be?" 10 Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:7-15

Reflection: “You must be born anew” and so we have the Born Again Christians!

Are they the select and the elect or what should be the response to such claim of being “Born Again”?

Are we also called to be born again or shall we resign ourselves to the fact that we are baptized Christians and now in no need to be born again?

 If one understands what Jesus meant when he said that we must be ‘Born Again’ then one would know what we should be doing to live up to this calling and whether we still need to be one in spite of being baptized in the faith:

“The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (vs.8)

These are some of the questions that everyone who claim themselves to be Christians, irrespective whether we are Born Again or not, should ask:

·     Are we in any way different then the people of the world? Is there something about us which is unique in relation to Christ and his Gospel?

·      Do people hear the sound of the gospel rather than our sounds? In other words: whom do we proclaim, Christ or ourselves?

·      Do people have more information about ourselves or do they have more information of Christ Jesus through us, as his mere instrument.  

·     God the Lord of all creation makes the wind to blow where he want to: are we directed by this our Lord and God to blow where he wants to and when? (cfr. Gen. 8:1; Ex. 15:10; Ps. 78:26; 147:18; Rev. 7:1)

If one is genuine in searching ones conscience in the light of the grace of God and his Holy Spirit then one will realize that what has begun in baptism is an ongoing process because the wind never dies off but continues in spurts and intervals, in strength and absence.

But it has to continue in dedication, with endurance and determination and just claiming that one is Born Again is never enough!

  

Prayer: Restore us to thyself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old! Lam 5:21

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us

Dedicated

Scripture/Bible: It was the feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; 28 and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." John 10:22-30

Reflection:  Around 165 BC during the reign of the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV a severe persecution arose against the Jews.

The king forced the Jewish people to abandon their worship of God, by desecrating and defiling their temple by sacrificing pigs on the altar and spilling their blood on the altar now dedicated to Zeus.  With the help of the Hellenized Jews he made them give up on their holy customs and reading of the Torah, and also made them bow down to the Greek gods placed in this temple.

Judas known as Maccabees (hammer) and his brothers gathered the Jews in revolt against king Antiochus and restored the worship at the second temple in Jerusalem.  

This day of restoration and dedication is celebrated as the feast of the Dedication or also a feast of light for 8 days, famously called the feast of Hanukkah (Chanukah). The Jews light the Menorah consisting of 9 lamps, each lighted in increasing measure for 8 days.   

Christ Jesus is the true temple dedicated to God and all who follow him also in various degrees dedicate themselves to him in order to become that temple carrying the eternal flame in themselves. He is the candle head (shammus) that gives light to the other candles and also sanctifies the 8 days of life by rising on the 8th day. 

The eternal flame which Jesus, the light of the world has given us is the promised Holy Spirit who is in us and works in us as a never dying flame.  

This flame can be quenched by our explicit rejection of him or through our constant rebellion and obstinacy against the will of God in our lives.  

The Cross of Christ and the daily sufferings of life make the oil to flow into the lamp stead in a never ending measure. 

Prayer:  Lord I dedicate myself to you, sanctify me by your word so that my light may shine forth among men. 

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us