Baptism as the Foundation of Ministry

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Baptism as the Foundation of Ministry

• Fr Gerard Kelly
• Catholic Institute of Sydney

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Starting point

• A key principle of this policy is the link
  between the baptismal call to ministry and the
  call to serve in an ecclesial community.
  Baptismal call leads to ecclesial call as the
  local Church responds to its twofold mission to
  build up the community and to bring Christs love
  to all people.
• (Archdiocese of Adelaide, Ecclesial Ministry
  Policy)

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Baptism paradigm

• Acts 826-39, Philip Ethiopian eunuch
• Read interpret passage of Scripture
• Look, here is water!
• Spirit snatches Philip away eunuch goes on way
  rejoicing
• Paradigm for Christian baptism
• Formation in faith
• Water baptism
• Participation in life of the community

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Basic structure of Church

• Pattern of baptism mirrors that of the Church and
  sacraments
• Sacramental structure of the Church

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Working with the structure

• Offers a grammar for church life ministry
• Always keep the three elements in balance
• Focus on one at expense of other leads to
  distortion
• Biblical fundamentalism
• Ritual magic
• Secular humanism

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Working with the structure

• Story
• This is our memory, tradition. It carries our
  identity
• Cf. Jn 1426, The Spirit will remind you of all
  that I have said
• Ritual
• This gives ownership of the story
• Cf. Ac 237, Be baptised in name of Jesus, your
  sins forgiven, receive Holy Spirit
• Mission
• Creatively imaginatively remain faithful to the
  story in our own context
• Cf. Jn 1613, The Spirit will lead you into all
  truth

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Context for Ministry

• Ministry takes shape in the mission element
  always responsive to changing world
• Ministry is also part of the story. Whatever
  shape it takes in certain circumstances it will
  be in harmony with Gods basic pattern
• Ministry will also have ritual elements by which
  what has been given by God is appropriated in new
  circumstances

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Central focus of the story

• Acts 232-41, baptism salvation history
• From beginning baptism linked to
• Cross, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus,
  which is fulfilment of Gods saving work in
  history
• Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
• Confession of Jesus as the Christ
• Forgiveness of sin
• Promised future already shaping the present

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Central focus of the story

• Salvation has many names
• Forgiveness of sin
• Liberation
• Reconciliation
• Justification
• New life, rebirth
• Renewal
• One new humanity
• Enlightenment

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Liturgical Action Scrutinies

• Uncover heal all that is weak, defective
• Strengthen all that is upright, strong
• to deliver the elect from the power of sin and
  Satan, to protect them against temptation, and to
  give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the
  truth and the life
• Instruction through Word of God
• About mystery of sin
• About their spirit being filled with Christ

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Liturgical Action Anointing

• The anointing with oil symbolises their need
  for Gods help and strength so that, undeterred
  by the bonds of the past and overcoming the
  opposition of the devil, they will forthrightly
  take the step of professing their faith and will
  hold fast to it unfalteringly throughout their
  lives
• (RCIA, n.191)

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Liturgical Action 1st Anointing
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Water Baptism

• Romans 63-11, baptised into Christ
• Through the ritual God changes the person
• Symbolic participation in death of Jesus
• You have been freed from sin (v.22) and have
  received the free gift of God, eternal life of
  Christ Jesus (v.23)
• carrying in our body the death of Jesus so that
  the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our
  bodies (2 Cor 410)

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Baptised in the Spirit

• Titus 34-7, renewal by the Holy Spirit
• Anointed as Christ was anointed
• You have been anointed you have become sharers
  of Christ (Cyril of Jerusalem)
• Sons and daughters of God
• This anointing will never leave you
• Heirs to promise of eternal life
• Gods future for us is opened up as a present
  reality
• In the Spirit the baptised shape their life
  within their own concrete circumstances

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Priesthood of the Baptised

• Anointed with the Spirit, the baptised are part
  of the royal priesthood
• 1 Peter 2 5, 9
• Focus here is not on Levitical priesthood, and
  salvific actions
• Allusion is to Ex 195-6, the priestly kingdom,
  Gods treasured possession among all the
  peoples. I.e. fulfilment of Gods promise
  (communion)
• Cf. Is 615, you shall be called priests of the
  Lord, ministers of our God, because the Spirit
  of the Lord is on me, he has anointed me sent me
  to bring good news

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Priesthood of the Baptised

• Aside
• Original idea in 1 Pet (priesthood in relation to
  Gods promise being fulfilled priesthood in
  relation to communion) all but disappears with
  the evolution of ministerial priesthood
• Reformers reject cultic ideas of priesthood and
  emphasise baptismal priesthood
• BUT baptismal rites kept early sense of
  priesthood
• This is important for way we link ministry and
  priesthood

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Priesthood of the Baptised

• Baptised Christians are associated with the
  priesthood of Christ.
• Christ was anointed for priesthood with the
  Spirit by God (Tertullian, allusion to OT
  anointing of priests)
• Christs sacrifice
• Existential rather than cultic
• Gift of himself in love
• Unique, once-for-all
• Restores humankind to communion with God

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Priesthood of the Baptised

• Romans 121, offer spiritual sacrifices
• Existential quality of lives
• By power of the Spirit, the sacrifice of Christ
  bears fruit in daily lives of baptised
• Live as people drawn into communion with God (and
  therefore with each other)
• Way of life of each baptised is not simply a
  question of his/her own salvation it contributes
  to the fidelity of the community to its priestly
  vocation
• Lives of the baptised become a sign of Gods
  transformation of the whole of humanity

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Priesthood of the Baptised

• The baptised faithful
• are the achievement, completion, and
  fulfilment of the Churchs sacramental life. It
  is the assembly that is the new creation, the
  royal priesthood, the people of God. Their
  transformed life and transforming actions are the
  goal of the Christian sacramental order
• (Paul Philibert, The Priesthood of the Faithful)

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Priesthood and Ministry

• Baptismal priesthood does not make the baptised
  ministers (or priests)
• Rather, they are part of the priestly activity of
  the church
• This is a sign of realised mystery, fulfilment
  of Gods plan
• In this sense all Christians are called to
  participate in the mission of the church
• The priestly activity of the church requires
  ministry to support and sustain it it needs
  ministers
• Source of this ministry is anointing with the
  Spirit gifts given for service of the church as
  sign of salvation

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Priesthood and Ministry

• Christ perpetually distributes the gift of
  ministries in his body which is the church and
  with these gifts, through his power, we provide
  each other with help towards salvation, so that
  doing the truth in love, we grow up in all things
  into him who is our head.
• (Lumen Gentium, 7)

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Priesthood and Ministry

• Place of ordained priesthood
• While the common priesthood of the faithful is
  exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace a
  life of faith, hope and charity, a life according
  to the Spirit the ministerial priesthood is at
  the service of the common priesthood. It is
  directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace
  of all Christians. (CCC, 1547)
• Ministerial priesthood has its own sacrament it
  is a sign in a different way to baptism

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Baptism and the Church

• 2 Cor 1213, in the one Spirit you were all
  baptised into one body
• Incorporated into Christ incorporated into the
  body of Christ
• Acts 241, 47, added by God to the church
• Baptism means entrance into the church
• This not NOT analogous to joining a club
• Rather it is to be gathered by the Spirit into
  communion
• With God
• With others

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Baptism and the Church

• Church is in Christ as a sacrament or
  instrumental sign of intimate union with God and
  of the humanity of all humanity (LG, 1)
• Church is space where the mystery of Christ
  (saving mystery of God) is opened up for people
  of all times places
• Focus is sacramental rather than juridical

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Baptism and the Church

• Baptism puts us in relationship with God and one
  another (church is a communion)
• Cf. Ac 242, devoted to the apostolic teaching
  fellowship
• Dividing walls are broken down (e.g. Eph 214
  Gal 328)
• Baptism leads to participation in the Eucharist
• Communion also expressed in quality of lives we
  live

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How do you tell the story?

• Consider ways that earlier generations have told
  the story e.g. ancient baptisteries
• We are always interpreting this story we tell it
  in the way that is necessary for our own time
  place

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Dome of Arian Baptistery RAVENNA (5th century)
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Dome of Cathedral Baptistery, Ravenna
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Dome of Cathedral Baptistery RAVENNA
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Dome of Baptistery FLORENCE (13th century)
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Original sin the rebuke the banishment from
Paradise
Joseph sold to merchants Josephs brothers
Josephs journey
Adoration of Magi dream of Magi return of Magi
John preaching announcing coming Of Messiah
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Foundation for ministry

• Baptism asserts the dignity and status of each
  baptised person as being in Christ, anointed by
  Spirit
• Baptism inserts person into the church as living
  witness to salvation
• Church has mission to proclaim the Word, saving
  faith received in baptism (Cf. Matt 2819)
• Some of the baptised are called to a ministry
  which is at the service of baptismal faith and
  grace. This call has its foundation in their
  baptism.