Christian Art | Baptism | We Are Born Again Of Water And The Holy Spirit | The Newly Baptized
Office Of Readings | Week 15, Monday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Ambrose On The Mysteries | We Are Born Again Of Water And The Holy Spirit
‘We are born again through water and the Holy Spirit.’
Saint Ambrose’s catechesis on baptism, drawn from his treatise On the Mysteries, offers a rich theological and scriptural reflection on the rite of Christian initiation, weaving together typology, sacramental theology, and pastoral instruction. Addressed to the newly baptized in fourth-century Milan, this passage exemplifies the mystagogical tradition — the Church’s practice of interpreting the mysteries of the sacraments only after the faithful had experienced them.
The Sacramental Event | Visible Signs And Invisible Grace
Saint Ambrose begins by urging his catechumens not to limit their perception to what they see — water, deacons, and the bishop — but to discern the invisible realities conveyed through these visible signs. This principle, echoing Saint Paul’s teaching (2 Corinthians 4:18), underscores a central sacramental axiom: the material elements of baptism convey divine grace because God Himself is present and acting through them. This is no mere symbolic ritual; it is an encounter with the living God, whose Spirit both initiates and perfects the work of salvation.
Ambrose anchors this sacramental realism in Scripture: ‘Since the creation of the world, the invisible attributes of God… are understood through the things that he has done.’ (Romans 1:20) The invocation of this Pauline text signals Ambrose’s conviction that the whole created order speaks sacramentally of God’s action, culminating in baptism.
Biblical Typology | Creation, Flood, And New Birth
Ambrose’s exposition turns to typology — a hallmark of patristic exegesis. He sees the origins of baptism prefigured in the Spirit hovering over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2): this primordial image suggests that the Spirit’s creative power has been present since the beginning and now brings about a new creation in the baptized.
Next, Ambrose draws on the story of Noah’s flood (Genesis 6–8), an image widely used in early Christian literature to symbolise both judgment and renewal. The ark becomes an image of salvation, the floodwaters prefigure the waters of baptism that wash away sin, and the dove bearing the olive branch anticipates the descent of the Holy Spirit at Christ’s baptism in the Jordan. Here Ambrose underscores that what the flood prefigured, Christ has fulfilled.
This typological method situates baptism within a continuum of salvation history. Ambrose’s catechumens are invited to see themselves as inheritors of this divine narrative: like Noah and his family, they have been delivered from the corrupt world; like Christ in the Jordan, they have passed through water and received the Spirit.
Trinitarian Theology And Ecclesial Context
Ambrose’s emphasis on the Trinity, ‘the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’, reflects the deepening Trinitarian consciousness of the fourth-century Church, shaped by the Arian controversies of the time. His clear articulation that the same Spirit present at creation and the flood is the Spirit at work in baptism reinforces the continuity of God’s saving action throughout history.
Moreover, his comparison of deacons and bishop to the Levites and high priest situates the liturgical action within a sacred order and draws an implicit parallel between the Old Testament Temple cult and Christian worship. Yet, as Ambrose’s exegesis shows, the Christian mystery surpasses the old: whereas the Temple sacrifices prefigured God’s saving work, baptism actually confers divine life.
Moral Exhortation | Purification And Peace
Ambrose also integrates moral exhortation into his exposition. He reminds his hearers that ‘carnal impurity and the pollution of grave sin turn away the grace of the Spirit’. Baptism, then, is not merely an outward washing but demands interior conversion — a purification of heart and mind that enables the soul to be receptive to the indwelling Spirit.
This ethical dimension is further expressed in his closing reflection on the dove as symbol of peace and calm. The Spirit who descended on Christ in the Jordan and who comes upon the baptized brings not only forgiveness but also peace — a peace that reorients the soul towards God.
A Reading From The Treatise Of Saint Ambrose On The Mysteries | We Are Born Again Of Water And The Holy Spirit
What did you see at the baptism? Water, certainly, but not water alone; you saw the deacons (like the Levites of old) exercising their ministry and the bishop (like the chief priest of old) asking questions and bestowing sanctification.
The Apostle Paul taught you to look not at what is visible but at what is invisible; for visible things will pass away but the invisible things are eternal. As you read elsewhere: Since the creation of the world, the invisible attributes of God, his eternal power and his divinity are understood through the things that he has done. The Lord himself says: If you do not believe in me, believe in my works. So here, at baptism, believe that the Godhead is present. Can you believe that God is at work and yet deny that he is present? How can any work happen unless the one who performs it is already there?
Consider how ancient this mystery is; for it is prefigured even in the origin of the world itself. In the very beginning, when God made the heaven and the earth, it is said: The Spirit moved upon the waters. He who was moving over the waters, was he not acting on them as well? You can recognise that he was working in that moment of creation, when you see how the prophet says: By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their strength by the spirit of his mouth. There is as much support from the prophets for one thing as for the other. Moses says that the spirit of God was moving and David the psalmist testifies that he was working.
Here is another piece of evidence. By its own iniquities all flesh was corrupted. And God says: My Spirit shall not remain among men, because they are flesh. This goes to show that carnal impurity and the pollution of grave sin turn away the grace of the Spirit. Since that had happened, God sought to repair his disfigured creation. He sent the flood and commanded Noah, the just man, to go up into the ark. As the waters of the flood were receding Noah sent first a raven (which did not return) and then a dove, which came back with an olive branch, as we read in the scriptures. And now you see the water, you see the wood, you see the dove, and you still doubt the mystery?
The water is the water into which the flesh is dipped, to wash away all the sins of the flesh. And so is all sin buried.
The wood is the wood on which the Lord Jesus was fastened when he suffered for us.
The dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit’s taking on the form of a dove, as you have learnt from the New Testament: the Spirit who brings peace to your soul and calm to your troubled mind.
Prayer With Jesus
Heavenly Father,
we praise You for the gift of baptism,
through which You make us a new creation in Christ
and breathe into us Your Holy Spirit.
Grant that we may never take for granted this grace,
but live lives worthy of the calling we have received.
As You hovered over the waters at creation,
so hover over our hearts,
cleansing us from sin, calming our restless minds,
and filling us with the peace of Your Spirit.
May we, who have passed through the waters of new birth,
walk always as children of light,
and bear witness to Your saving power,
until we come at last to the fullness of life with You.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Catechesis: Religious instruction given to those preparing for baptism or recently baptized.
Mystagogy: The period of post-baptismal teaching explaining the sacraments and deepening the understanding of faith.
Typology: A method of biblical interpretation where Old Testament events, persons, or symbols are seen as prefigurations of Christ and the sacraments.
Levites: Members of the tribe of Levi, assigned liturgical duties in the Temple in the Old Testament.
Prefigure: To foreshadow or symbolically anticipate a future reality.
Theophany: A visible manifestation of God to humans.
Effetha: An Aramaic word meaning ‘be opened’, used by Jesus when healing the deaf man (Mark 7:34) and used symbolically in baptismal rites.
Dove (symbol): A symbol of the Holy Spirit, peace, and purity.
Trinitarian: Relating to the doctrine of the Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Ark: In this context, Noah’s ark — a biblical image of salvation and refuge.
Christian Art | Parousia | Second Coming | Lamb Of God, You Take Away The Sins Of The World Luke 17: 26-37 (Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word) Early Christian thought about the Parousia – the second coming – was largely influenced by the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. In the early Christian community, expectation of Christ’s return was strong, and many Christians believed that it would happen in their lifetime. This belief is evident in the New Testament, where the authors express a sense of urgency in their writings and encourage their readers to be prepared for Christ’s imminent return. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, the idea of the Parousia became more complex and nuanced. Theological debates arose around the nature of Christ’s return and the events that would precede it. Some theologians, such as Origen and Augustine, saw the Parousia as a spiritual event that was already happening in the Church. Others, such as the Montanists and the millenarians, believed in a literal, physical return of Christ and the establishment of a new, earthly Kingdom. In the Middle Ages, the Parousia was often associated with apocalypticism and the idea of a final, cataclysmic battle between good and evil – the last battle. The idea of the Antichrist, who would precede Christ’s return, became a popular theme in Christian literature, and the book of Revelation (Apocalypse – meaning to reveal, to uncover) was interpreted as a prophetic guide to the end of the world. Biblical Basis For The Parousia | The Second Coming The concept of the Parousia, or the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, is central to Christian eschatology and is supported by numerous biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, there are numerous passages that refer to the coming of a Messiah who will restore Israel and bring about the final judgment. For example, in Daniel 7:13-14, it is written: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’ This passage describes a divine figure who comes in the clouds and is given dominion over all nations. In the New Testament, the Parousia is described in greater detail, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Saint Paul. Jesus speaks of his return in many passages, including Matthew 24:30-31, where Jesus says: ‘And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’ Here, Jesus describes his return in power and glory, accompanied by angels who gather Jesus’ elect from all over the world. In Saint Paul’s letters, the Parousia is also described in detail. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Saint Paul writes: ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’ This passage describes a resurrection of the dead and the gathering of believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. The language and imagery used to describe the Parousia are often dramatic and apocalyptic in nature. The Parousia is often described as a time of judgment, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked, and God’s justice will be fully revealed. The imagery of clouds, trumpets, and angels is used to depict the power and glory of Christ’s return. Theological Interpretations Of The Parousia | Jesus’ Second Coming The concept of the Parousia has been interpreted in a variety of ways throughout Christian history. Dispensationalism Dispensationalism is a theological framework that emerged in the 19th Century and has since become popular among some evangelical and fundamentalist Christians. Dispensationalists believe that history is divided into distinct periods or ‘dispensations’, each of which is marked by a particular mode of divine revelation and a specific plan of salvation. According to dispensationalist theology, the Parousia will be preceded by a period of tribulation, during which the Antichrist will establish a one-world government and the Jews will be restored to their homeland. The Parousia itself will involve a physical, visible return of Christ, who will establish a thousand-year reign on earth before the final judgment. Preterism Preterism is a theological interpretation of the Parousia that holds that many of the prophecies in the New Testament, particularly those in the book of Revelation, were fulfilled in the first century AD. According to this view, the Parousia occurred in a spiritual sense when Christ ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower the Church. Preterists argue that the tribulation and other end-time events predicted in the New Testament were fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Postmillennialism Postmillennialism is a theological view that holds that the Parousia will occur after a period of history in which the Church will gradually bring about the kingdom of God on earth. According to this view, the Church will spread the gospel throughout the world, and social, political, and economic conditions will gradually improve. Eventually, Christ will return to a world that has been largely transformed by the Gospel. Amillennialism […]
Saint Clement’s reflection on divine fidelity presents an early instance of Christian reasoning that links observation of the natural order with trust in the promise of resurrection. The structure of the argument proceeds by analogy: the visible alternation of night and day, the decay and renewal of seed, the continuous pattern of the seasons, all provide evidence that death does not end a process but belongs within it. The ordered rhythm of nature is treated not as mere metaphor but as a form of testimony, available to perception and open to interpretation by faith [ … ]
The Gospel verses reflect a time when Christianity has split from Judaism, and also a time after the destruction of Jerusalem. In depictions of Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees, we discover an astonishing claim to transcendence on the part of the burgeoning Christian communities. There is too ambivalence: the Law remains intact in every detail, and yet it is overhauled. The truth of Christ so far surpasses the Pharisaic understanding of the Law, that it may be considered a New Law even as at the same time it is a fulfilment of the Old. We discover through these Gospel verses an astonishing claim on the part of the Christian writers, which is that they are the true recipients of God’s revelation to Moses, and that it is the Pharisees who have got it wrong [ … ]
