He is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit

SUNDAY 19 JANUARY (Jn 1,29-34)

The words of Jesus are eternal and immutable truth. The Church lives by this truth. Whoever destroys this truth destroys the Church: “Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” ” (Jn 3,3-8). It is not only a necessary, not only indispensable, but divine condition. It is the duty of every minister of the Word to preach conversion, to call to enter the kingdom of God, to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The Church is born with baptism, which is the door to access the other sacraments. It is an evil thought to say that baptism is useless and that there is no difference between those who are baptized and those who are not baptized. The new creature is born from the waters of baptism.

The Apostle Paul was seized by Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then, the Lord put him in the hands of Ananias, from whom he received baptism: “So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.” Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength” (At 9,17-19). To understand how divine baptism is, in the house of Cornelius Peter baptizes those who were first filled with Holy Spirit. “While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?” He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for a few days” (At 10,44-48). Neither the waters without the Holy Spirit, nor the Holy Spirit without immersion in the waters. If baptism is not given or is declared useless, the Church dies. She has no future anymore. The consequences are very heavy. It means that there will no longer be ministers of the Word, there will be no Eucharist or forgiveness of sins anymore, there will no longer be any guarantee of truth in the teaching of the Prophetic Scriptures. Before denying a divine truth, all its consequences must always be considered.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

Today we are playing a lot, indeed too much, with the divine truths. Every divine truth that is denied, questioned and declared outdated is a serious wound inflicted on the body of the Church. Without baptism in water and in the Holy Spirit there will be neither bishops, nor presbyters and nor baptized. Without the episcopate there will be no priesthood and nor will there ever be Eucharist. We do not eat Christ and we do not live for Christ. Not even the Gospel and Revelation might be preserved in its divine and eternal truth. Without baptism everything collapses and everything dies. This is the reason why Satan has declared war on this sacrament and is using theologians and ministers of the Word to declare it useless, vain and to affirm that by now nothing is needed anymore.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, do not allow the divine truth to be trampled on.