'You must be born from above.'
Baptism, the new birth from above, takes what is merely flesh and raises it to the realm of Spirit. It transfers those touched by its waters from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light (see Colossians 1:12-13). It is the gateway to a qualitatively different mode of existence, as if it revealed an additional dimension to that perceived by the senses. Jesus said, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom" (see John 18:36), and yet it was nevertheless hidden, as it were, in plain sight "in the midst of you" (see Luke 17:21).
The fact that Jesus was led by the Spirit explained why he always had such a strong sense of purpose even when his goals seemed inexplicable or foolish to others. It was very much the case that, in a deeper sense, they did not know where he came from or where he was going.
so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.
We should reflect, we who have been born of the Spirit, if it is actually the case for us that we are guided by the Spirit. Does it require considering the Kingdom to make sense of our lives? Or could all of our actions be accounted for by natural ambitions and desires? If someone examined a day in the life of you or me would it take a supernatural element to account for what happened? Or would enough detail from the previous pages of our biography be enough to account for everything? As Paul told the Galatians, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit" (see Galatians 5:25). It is in docility to the Spirit that the adventure of the Christian life consists. If we are ever tempted to become bored or disinterested by our religion the fault is most likely not with the religion itself.
If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
The Sacraments are the gateway that helps us raise our minds and hearts from earth to learn of heavenly things. They are the necessary beginning to do what Paul commanded the Colossians: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (see Colossians 3:2). This is the case because Jesus himself is present in the Sacraments, and in them bridges heaven and earth.
No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.
He is the gateway into the Kingdom, the new life of the Spirit. But this would only be possible after he provided a remedy for the poison of sin. Then he himself would be the cure to the poison of our ancient enemy the serpent. But he did not stop at fixing what was broken. He desired to draw all men to himself as the source of eternal life. He was thus, as he said, "the way, the truth, and the life" (see John 14:6). We should reflect on these great gifts Jesus has made available to us and ask ourselves if we have been taking advantage of them. No doubt, even if we have, there is always more that he has in store for us.
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