Posted on: January 18th, 2008 “One baptism for the remission of sins”
David Cassidy has a wonderful post on how this phrase of the Nicene Creed would have been heard in its original context. He quotes this amazing poetic text, a fifth-century inscription on the baptistry in the Lateran Basilica:
Here a people of godly race are born of heaven;
the Spirit gives them life in the fertile waters.
The Church-Mother in these waves bears her children
the virginal fruit she conceived by the Holy SpiritHope for the kingdom of heaven, you who are reborn in this spring,
for those who are born but once have no share in the life of blessedness.
Here is to be found the source of life, which washes the whole universe,
which gushed from the wound of Christ.Sinner, plunge into the fountain to wash away your sin.
The water receives the old man, and in his place makes the new man rise.
You wish to become innocent, cleanse yourself in this bath,
whatever your burden may be, Adam’s sin or your own.
Thanks, Pastor Cassidy!
