easy baptism and laborious baptism - 28th week Tuesday 2013

Last week we began reflecting on the tenth article of the faith which says, I believe in the forgiveness of sins.  And I invited you to reflect silently on this article of our faith and its implication in us.  Do you really believe that sins can be forgiven?  Do you believe in your heart that God can change his mind about you and about everyone else?  Do you believe that God is more powerful than all the sins in the world?

In the church there are two sacraments by which God forgives our sins.  First, God forgives us through the sacrament of baptism.  The waters of baptism wash away our sins, it cleanses us, it gives us new life.  In many baptisteries in various churches you will read the words lavacrum regenerationis, the washing of regeneration because this is one consequence of our baptism – we become a new person, we become the children of God and thus we are washed clean from all sin.

This washing however by the waters of baptism does not take away our innate weakness.  The weakness of our nature remains and we will be constantly at odds with our weakness until we die because this will constantly lead us to commit sin.  Theology calls this concupiscence.  That is why there is another key by which sins are forgiven, there has to be another key, another sacrament by which sins committed after baptism are forgiven.  And this is the sacrament of penance.  That is why this has sacrament has been called by the Fathers of the Church as the second baptism, a laborious kind of baptism.  It is called laborious baptism.  

 Ang baptism of water hapos lang, indi bala?  Your parents in fact did it for you, they professed the faith for you then the priest pours water on your forehead.  Very easy.  But penance is a laborious baptism.  Una mamangkot ka sa kaugalingon mo, ano man makompesar ako ukon indi.  Kis-a you will have to struggle within you.  Then you have to form your line and wait.  Tapos ang nahauna sa imo kadugay, naugot ka na – ano gid ni ya sala ya nga kadugay gid ni sa iya man?  Then kulbaan ka kay nahuya ka sa imo sala basi kon ano isiling sang pari.  Ginhawa mo man ka hutik-hutik kay basi  mabati-an sang iban.  Worst kis-a grabe ang penance nga ginhatag sa imo – ma via crucis ka 3 times – that is why the Fathers call it “laborious baptism.”  Actually worst pa gid kon pari ka.  Testingi nyo bala mamati sang sala sa sulod sang duha ka oras – nagalingin ulo mo.  Maayo na lang gani na kay puede na kami makapungko.  Sang una kon nagaluhod ang nagakonpesar, nagaluhod man ang pari, kay ang una nga dapat magpenitensiya sa imo sala indi ikaw kundi ang pari or at least upod kamo.  This is laborious baptism and if in baptism the baptismal water washes our sins, in this sacrament it is our tears.

Sang una may ginapakompesar ako nga every time she comes to confession she would always cry.  Indi gid man daku iya sala but she would cry.  Samtang nagakompesar sia you could sense that she is crying, sometimes fighting her tears something letting it flow.  The saints call this the gift of tears.  It is a gift from God to be able to shed tears for our sins - tears of regret, tears of penance, tears of sorrow.  It is a gift not all of us have but it is one of the most beautiful gift – because tears can cleanse, tears can heal the brokenness in us caused by our sins.  Indi bala kanami sang matyag ta pakatapos nga makahibi kita?

Today Jesus is telling the Pharisees that cleansing the inside is more important than cleansing the outside of the cup.  And following the Lord’s injunction the church has always taught that the greatest form of penance that we can do after confession is to perform a great act of charity, for the giving of alms can make us clean within.  Indeed charity covers a multitude of sins.