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January 9

e know, and our knowledge is true, that we who were defiled by our first birth have been cleansed by our second birth; we who were enslaved by our first birth have been freed by our second birth; we who became children of earth at our first birth became children of heaven at our second birth; we who were fleshly because of the corruption inherent in our first birth have become spiritual by virtue of our second birth. The first made us children of wrath; the second, children of grace. Therefore let everyone know that any attack on the reverence due to holy baptism is an insult to God himself who told us: No one who is not born again of water and spirit can enter the kingdom of heaven.

Sound instruction therefore give us the grace to understand the nature and purpose of saving baptism. As the apostle puts it: If we have died with Christ, we believe we shall also live with Christ; for the object of our dying and being buried with Christ is to enable us to rise again and live with him.

From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.

HTML text prepared by David P. Steelman

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