+ Our gospel passage today tells
of the great teaching episode between Jesus and a Pharisee named Nicodemus – a
secret admirer and follower of Jesus – regarding “second birth”! All the merits
of the death and resurrection of Jesus would be useless unless there was a way
to access them: the way is through baptism, through being “born a second time,”
this time by water and the spirit –and
the irrevocable formula of Trinitarian baptism!
It still seemed that Nicodemus
could not grasp what Jesus was saying: he is stuck on the phrasing “born again”
– how can one be “born again?” Jesus tries to tell him that the first birth
(from the mother’s womb) is of flesh, but the second birth (from water and the
spirit) is of spirit: directly from the superabundance and supernatural life of
God.
Then Jesus tells him that he must
be “born from above” to access all the graces that his upcoming Passion
and Death would merit. And this would make him free – truly free – which Jesus
refers to by talking about the wind
blowing where it wills: those born of the Spirit, literally live unfettered
lives!
In the first reading today,
the place where the Jews prayed together – as they reflected on the events of
Jesus life and death and resurrection – shook (with excitement and joy); may
the place where we pray shake as well with the excitement that comes from
“touching God” “touching Jesus” “touching Salvation!”
If
then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, [strive after it, yearn
for it, long for] where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
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