8 October 2022
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.
From Galatians 3:22-29, NRSV
In this reading, Paul introduces the concept of Baptism and the way it was celebrated. He is speaking to a people still divided by the fact that many still believed in the need to continue to follow the Jewish law. Paul wants the people to move beyond what divides them and to understand that the act of Baptism removed all previous differentiation or rank between people. At Baptism, ordinary clothing was removed and replaced with a standard white garment showing the equality of all the baptised. Paul’s words are likely to have been well received by former slaves and other oppressed groups who now saw that they had a new dignity in Christ. However, those who had previously held higher rank or office would have been challenged to see their former “inferiors” as equal.
- What difference would Paul’s words have made to the people of Galatia?
- How do you feel about the idea of Baptism giving you equal dignity with all who are baptised?
Pray today for those preparing for Baptism – and for those leading them towards this Sacrament.
