Pope: it is the Holy Spirit who in Baptism purifies and renews

Continuing to talk about baptism, Francis focuses on water. "The Bible describes the interventions and promises of God through the sign of water". "It is not possible to adhere to Christ by laying down conditions. It is necessary to detach oneself from certain bonds in order to really embrace others ". "When we dip our hands in the blessed water and make the sign of the Cross, we think with joy and gratitude of the Baptism we have received".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The water on which God's blessing is invoked "is transformed, has within it the power of the Holy Spirit" and for this, in Baptism, purifies from sins. The water in the rite of Baptism was the subject of which Pope Francis spoke to the 20,000 people who took part in today's general audience.

Continuing to illustrate the sacrament of Baptism, Francis dedicated the catechesis to the "central rites, which take place at the baptismal font. Let us first consider water, on which the power of the Spirit is invoked so that it may have the strength to regenerate and renew (cf. Jn 3: 5 and Tt 3: 5). Water is the matrix of life and well-being, while lack of it causes the extinction of all fruitfulness, as happens in the desert; water, however, can also be a cause of death, when it submerges in its waves or overwhelms everything in large quantities; finally, water has the ability to wash, clean, purify. Starting from this universally recognized natural symbolism, the Bible describes the interventions and promises of God through the sign of water. We find some oracles of the Lord given by the mouths of the prophets, for example Isaiah: "I will pour water on the thirsty soil" (44.3); and again Ezekiel: "I will sprinkle you with pure water and you will be cleansed" (36,25). However, the power to forgive sins does not lie in the water itself, as Saint Ambrose explained to the newly baptized: "You have seen water, but not all water heals: the water that has the grace of Christ heals [...] The action is of the water, the effectiveness is of the Holy Spirit "(De sacramentis 1,15)".

"Therefore the Church invokes the action of the Spirit on water" so that those who receive Baptism will be buried with Christ in death and resurrect with him to immortal life "(Rite of the Baptism of Children, No. 60). The prayer of blessing says that God has prepared the water "to be a sign of Baptism" and recalls the main biblical prefiguration’s: on the waters of the origins the Spirit was heaped to make them a seed of life (cf. Gen 1: 1-2); the water of the deluge marked the end of sin and the beginning of new life (cf. Gen 7: 6-8,22); through the water of the Red Sea the sons of Abraham were freed from the slavery of Egypt (cf. Ex 14: 15-31). In connection with Jesus, we recall the baptism in the Jordan (cf. Mt 3: 13-17), the blood and water poured out from his side (cf. Jn 19: 31-37), and the mandate to the disciples to baptize all peoples in the name of the Trinity (cf. Mt 28,19). Strengthened by this memory, God is asked to instil in the water of the fountain the grace of Christ who died and rose again (cf. Rite of the Baptism of Children, No. 60). And so this water is transformed, has within it the power of the Holy Spirit ".

"Once the source of the water is sanctified, the heart must be disposed to Baptism. This happens with the renunciation of Satan and the profession of faith, two acts closely connected to each other. To the extent that I say 'no' to the suggestions of the devil - he who divides - I am able to say 'yes' to God who calls me to conform to Him in thoughts and deeds ".

"It is not possible to adhere to Christ by laying down conditions. It is necessary to detach oneself from certain bonds in order to really embrace others ". "There are people who always seem to get along well and say, 'this is fine with God and with the devil'. But it's not good ". "It is necessary to cut bridges, leaving them behind, to undertake the new Way that is Christ.  The answer to the questions – “Do you renounce Satan, all his works, and all his seductions?” - is in the first person singular: “I do”. And in the same way the faith of the Church is professed, saying: "I believe". It is a responsible choice, which demands to be translated into concrete gestures of trust in God. The act of faith presupposes a commitment that Baptism itself will help to maintain perseveringly in the different situations and trials of life. Let us remember the ancient wisdom of Israel: "Son, if you present yourself to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation" (Sir 2: 1). The renunciation of sin, of the seductions of evil, of Satan, origin and cause of all sin, and, positively, faith in what the Church believes, are not momentary acts, limited to the moment of Baptism; they are attitudes that accompany all the growth and maturation of the Christian life. And Christian life is a struggle. Helped by the Holy Spirit ".

"Dear brothers and sisters - concluded the Pope - when we dip our hands in the blessed water and make the sign of the Cross, let us think with joy and gratitude of the Baptism we have received, and renew our 'Amen', to live immersed in love of the Holy Trinity ".

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