Baptism as the Foundation of Ministry

Fr Gerard KellyCatholic Institute of Sydney

Starting pointA 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 Christ’s love to all people.

(Archdiocese of Adelaide, Ecclesial Ministry Policy)

Baptism paradigm Acts 8:26-39, 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

Basic structure of Church Pattern of baptism mirrors that of

the Church and sacraments Sacramental structure of the Church

Word Story of God’s saving action

Past

Sacrament Rituals by which we confess faith in God (i.e. appropriate the story)

Present

Living Mission: engagement of the story in our own world

Future

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

Working with the structure Story

This is our memory, tradition. It carries our identity Cf. Jn 14:26, The Spirit will remind you of all that I

have said Ritual

This gives ownership of the story Cf. Ac 2:37, 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 16:13, The Spirit will lead you into all truth

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 God’s basic pattern

Ministry will also have ritual elements by which what has been given by God is appropriated in new circumstances

Central focus of the story Acts 2:32-41, baptism & salvation history From beginning baptism linked to:

Cross, resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, which is fulfilment of God’s saving work in history

Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Confession of Jesus as the Christ Forgiveness of sin Promised future already shaping the present

Central focus of the story Salvation has many names:

Forgiveness of sin Liberation Reconciliation Justification New life, rebirth Renewal One new humanity Enlightenment

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

Liturgical Action: Anointing‘The anointing with oil symbolises their need for God’s 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)

Liturgical Action: 1st Anointing

Rescue from Lead into

Kingdom of darkness

Kingdom of light

Original sin Temples of glory

Slavery to sin Freedom of sons & daughters of God

Power of darkness Strength for life’s journey

Water Baptism Romans 6:3-11, 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 4:10)

Baptised in the Spirit Titus 3:4-7, 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 God’s future for us is opened up as a present

reality In the Spirit the baptised shape their life within

their own concrete circumstances

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 19:5-6, the priestly kingdom, God’s ‘treasured possession among all the peoples’. I.e. fulfilment of God’s promise (=communion)

Cf. Is 61:5, ‘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…’

Priesthood of the Baptised Aside:

Original idea in 1 Pet (priesthood in relation to God’s 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

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)

Christ’s sacrifice: Existential rather than cultic Gift of himself in love Unique, once-for-all Restores humankind to communion with God

Priesthood of the Baptised Romans 12:1, 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 God’s transformation of the whole of humanity

Priesthood of the Baptised The baptised faithful…

‘… are the achievement, completion, and fulfilment of the Church’s 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)

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 God’s

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

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)

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

Baptism and the Church 2 Cor 12:13, in the one Spirit you were all

baptised into one body Incorporated into Christ = incorporated into the

body of Christ Acts 2:41, 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

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

Baptism and the Church Baptism puts us in relationship with God

and one another (church is a communion) Cf. Ac 2:42, devoted to the apostolic teaching &

fellowship Dividing walls are broken down (e.g. Eph 2:14;

Gal 3:28) Baptism leads to participation in the

Eucharist Communion also expressed in quality of

lives we live

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

Dome of Arian Baptistery

RAVENNA (5th century)

Dome of Cathedral Baptistery, Ravenna

Dome of Cathedral BaptisteryRAVENNA

Dome of BaptisteryFLORENCE(13th century)

Original sin; the rebuke; the banishment from Paradise

Joseph sold to merchants; Joseph’sbrothers; Joseph’s journey

Adoration of Magi; dream of Magi;return of Magi

John preaching; announcing comingOf Messiah

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 28:19)

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.