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<v Speaker 1>Everyone, God bless you. Thanks so much for tuning in.

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<v Speaker 2>It has made my heart so happy these last few

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<v Speaker 2>years that so many people are pouring into the Church

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<v Speaker 2>and seeking the great grace of union with Jesus Christ

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<v Speaker 2>in holy baptism. Baptism is the sacred right through which

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<v Speaker 2>you enter into the Church. If you want to become

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<v Speaker 2>a member of the Body of Christ, you want to

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<v Speaker 2>take up your position in the Church, that's done through baptism.

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<v Speaker 2>Baptism is the first of Christian sacraments. Together with Chrismation

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<v Speaker 2>and the Eucharist, those three sacraments form what we call

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<v Speaker 2>the rites of initiation. This is how a person becomes

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<v Speaker 2>a Christian, says how a person establishes himself as a

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<v Speaker 2>member of the Church united to Christ.

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<v Speaker 1>Here are the major miracles that take.

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<v Speaker 2>Place when a person is baptized, is baptized, they are

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<v Speaker 2>united to Christ. They literally become in dwelt by God.

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<v Speaker 2>This union with Christ, which is Saint All's favorite description

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<v Speaker 2>of what a Christian is. A Christian is a human

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<v Speaker 2>being in Christ and CHRISTO And how do you become Christ?

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<v Speaker 2>Though you become in Christ through holy baptism. Do you

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<v Speaker 2>not know that all of us who have been baptized

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<v Speaker 2>into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death. Therefore

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<v Speaker 2>we have been buried with him through baptism into death,

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<v Speaker 2>so that as Christ was raised from the dead through

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<v Speaker 2>the glory of the Father, so we two might walk

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<v Speaker 2>in newness of life. For if we have been united

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<v Speaker 2>with Him in the likeness of his death, certainly we

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<v Speaker 2>shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Knowing

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<v Speaker 2>this that our old self was crucified with him in

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<v Speaker 2>order that our body of sin might be done away with,

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<v Speaker 2>so that we would no longer be slaves to sin,

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<v Speaker 2>For he who has died is freed from sin. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>if we have died with Christ, we believe that we

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<v Speaker 2>also shall live with him. This is a marvelous text,

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<v Speaker 2>and as I said, it's read actually in the sacrament itself,

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<v Speaker 2>in the service itself. We're buried with Christ into his

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<v Speaker 2>death and raised with Christ into his resurrection.

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<v Speaker 1>In baptism.

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<v Speaker 2>Saint Paul says, this is why the Church baptizes by

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<v Speaker 2>trying or triple immersion. And immersion we immerse and the

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<v Speaker 2>person emerges three times in the name of the Father

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<v Speaker 2>and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And

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<v Speaker 2>in this miracle. In this sacrament and this mystery, a

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<v Speaker 2>person is joined to Christ, literally bound to his death

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<v Speaker 2>and his resurrection. You die to sin, and you are

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<v Speaker 2>joined to Christ's life, his resurrection life. You come out

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<v Speaker 2>of the baptismal font no longer a slave to sin,

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<v Speaker 2>no longer tyrannized, but now joined to Christ. The great

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<v Speaker 2>twentieth century theologian who suffered for Christ in Romania, Saint

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<v Speaker 2>Dmitri Standaloi. He says, after we have accepted death to

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<v Speaker 2>sin in baptism, together with that death, which is the

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<v Speaker 2>sacrifice of our being offered to God, we must therefore

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<v Speaker 2>go go on with the process of dying. Not the

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<v Speaker 2>death of the old man, because he has died definitively,

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<v Speaker 2>but death as continuous surrender to God.

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<v Speaker 1>Together with Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>He remains in the state of sacrifice of self giving

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<v Speaker 2>to God, so that we too might be with him

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<v Speaker 2>in this same sacrificial condition. We die to sin by

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<v Speaker 2>being joined to Christ, and then we emerge from the

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<v Speaker 2>waters united to Him. In this state of offering ourselves

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<v Speaker 2>to God. This is what constitutes true love for God

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<v Speaker 2>and the Christian life. It's a marvelous, marvelous text. The

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<v Speaker 2>life that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise, you

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<v Speaker 2>also reckon yourselves to be dead, indeed to sin, but

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<v Speaker 2>alive to God in Christ, Jesus our Lord. So this

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<v Speaker 2>is the first great miracle of baptism. It's a union

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<v Speaker 2>with Christ. We die to sin. With Christ, we rise

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<v Speaker 2>to life, and we take up this position of offering

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<v Speaker 2>our hearts, our life to God.

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<v Speaker 1>This is how Christians live.

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<v Speaker 2>A second miracle of holy baptism is new birth. Is

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<v Speaker 2>new birth. We see this, of course in Jesus's conversation

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<v Speaker 2>with Nicodemus in the third chapter of Saint John's Gospel,

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<v Speaker 2>where Jesus speaks about being born from again, being born

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<v Speaker 2>again by water and the spirit. This is also a

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<v Speaker 2>beautifully described by Saint Paul and his epistle to his

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<v Speaker 2>spiritual son Titus in chapter three. I'll read this to you.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a beautiful text. But when the kindness of God,

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<v Speaker 2>our Savior, and his love for mankind appeared, he saved

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<v Speaker 2>us not on the basis of deeds which we have

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<v Speaker 2>done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the

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<v Speaker 2>washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Here

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<v Speaker 2>again you have this beautiful description of holy baptism as

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<v Speaker 2>a washing of regeneration and a renewal of the Holy Spirit.

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<v Speaker 2>This is new birth, the second great miracle of baptism.

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<v Speaker 2>Another miracle of baptism is the complete remission of sins.

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<v Speaker 2>Saint John Chrisostom describes in great detail his baptismal instructions.

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<v Speaker 2>These are instructions given to catechumens and those who are

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<v Speaker 2>newly lumined about baptism, and he says that no matter

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<v Speaker 2>what darkness, whatever what stain on your soul you have,

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<v Speaker 2>when you go into the baptismal font and come out,

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<v Speaker 2>you are made resplendent. You are completely washed and forgiven,

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<v Speaker 2>and you come out radiant, So radiant he says that

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<v Speaker 2>the angels can't bear the glory of your face and

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<v Speaker 2>have to turn away. Can you imagine the mercy of

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<v Speaker 2>God in baptism to take sinners like ourselves and to

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<v Speaker 2>do a cleansing light We could never imagine a forgiveness

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<v Speaker 2>of our sins like we could never dream of. A

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<v Speaker 2>fourth miracle is that baptism incorporates you into the Body

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<v Speaker 2>of Christ, into the Church. Baptism is entrance into the Church.

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<v Speaker 2>Saint Paul writes this in First Corinthians, Chapter twelve, verse

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<v Speaker 2>thirteen four. By one spirit, we were all baptized into

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<v Speaker 2>one body. How do you become a member of the church.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not by signing a pledge card. It's not just

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<v Speaker 2>by showing up either or just by saying a prayer

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<v Speaker 2>and asking Jesus to be your savior in your closet.

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<v Speaker 2>As wonderful as all of those things are a plus

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<v Speaker 2>on all those things, but that's not the way that

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<v Speaker 2>you become a member of the Church, the body of Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>Saint Gregor that Theolochian says, baptism is the striking of

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<v Speaker 2>a covenant for a second life, for a second life.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's super beautiful, and we could go on

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<v Speaker 2>and on. It's baptism is also the indwelling of the

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<v Speaker 2>Holy Spirit. The Church calls baptism fotisms or illumination. It

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<v Speaker 2>affects everything. Baptism gives us a whole new site on

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<v Speaker 2>how we interpret the world. Salvation is if salvation itself

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<v Speaker 2>is what baptism is. This is the summation of the

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<v Speaker 2>miracles of baptism. It is simply salvation. And Saint Peter

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<v Speaker 2>says that in his First Epistle three verse twenty one.

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<v Speaker 2>He says, Baptism now saves you for incredible words. Baptism

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<v Speaker 2>now saves you an incredible text. Salvation is something that's

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<v Speaker 2>given definitively in baptism, something that is worked out, as

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<v Speaker 2>Saint Paul says, right, work out your salvation with fear

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<v Speaker 2>and trembling. It's worked out through the process of loving

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<v Speaker 2>God and keeping his words. If you love me, Jesus said,

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<v Speaker 2>keep my commandments, and salvation is progressive. It's definitive in baptism,

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<v Speaker 2>and then it grows. Your sanctification grows. The process of

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<v Speaker 2>conforming your life to Christ grows by keeping the commandments.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, that's very clear in the Great Commission, isn't it.

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus says to his disciples, go into all the world,

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<v Speaker 2>make disciples of all the nations. How do you begin

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<v Speaker 2>a disciple baptizing them in the name of the Father,

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<v Speaker 2>Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that

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<v Speaker 2>I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you

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<v Speaker 2>even to the end of the age. This is the

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<v Speaker 2>commission of the Church. The miracle of baptism brings salvation

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<v Speaker 2>and brings you into a life of progressive sanctification. It

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<v Speaker 2>is in fact the constitutive part of discipleship. It's how

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<v Speaker 2>you begin discipleship is by receiving your catechism and being baptized.

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<v Speaker 2>The great Saint Nicholas Cabasilas He says, baptism engraves an

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<v Speaker 2>image and in parts of form to our souls by

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<v Speaker 2>conforming them to the death and resurrection of the Savior.

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<v Speaker 2>It is then that we are formed and shaped, and

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<v Speaker 2>are shapeless and undefined. Life receives shape and definition. Besides,

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<v Speaker 2>we become known to Him who knows his own. On

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<v Speaker 2>this day we hear the significant word our own name.

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<v Speaker 2>The servant of God, John, for instance, is baptized in

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<v Speaker 2>the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On

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<v Speaker 2>this day we hear the significant word our name, as

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<v Speaker 2>though then we were properly known.

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<v Speaker 1>For to be known by God is to become truly known.

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<v Speaker 2>This is from Saint Nicholas Cambasilasis The Life in Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>an incredible text.

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<v Speaker 1>You know.

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<v Speaker 2>These days young people especially use this language of wanting

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<v Speaker 2>to be and needing to be seen. They want to

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<v Speaker 2>be seen well. The way to be seen is to

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<v Speaker 2>be baptized, be catechized, be formed into disciples of Christ.

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<v Speaker 2>And in holy baptism, be named. Let God give you

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<v Speaker 2>your name, Let Him know you as one of his own.

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<v Speaker 2>Let Christ become your shepherd, and you his sheep, and

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<v Speaker 2>he calls his sheep by name. You're seen by Christ,

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<v Speaker 2>known by God. It's marvelous. We could go on and

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<v Speaker 2>on on the miracles of baptism. Baptism is called regeneration

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<v Speaker 2>on the enecees, clothing with Christ, washing away of scene

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<v Speaker 2>of sin apolusis adoption, weal, theesia, illumination, fotismos a planting,

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<v Speaker 2>a first resurrection. These are all scriptural names for the

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<v Speaker 2>miracles of holy baptism. Baptism is a great gift. It

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<v Speaker 2>is God's will that every human being be joined to

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<v Speaker 2>Jesus our Savior through holy baptism. Those of you who

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<v Speaker 2>are baptized, thank God for the miracles of your baptism.

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<v Speaker 2>Live them out faithfully. And those of you who are

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<v Speaker 2>not yet baptized, it's time. This time, God is calling

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<v Speaker 2>you to become his own. God be with you and

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<v Speaker 2>keep you. Hey, everyone, I hope you've downloaded the Patristic

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<v Speaker 2>nectar app on your phone. It is a treasure trove

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<v Speaker 2>of soul nourishing content and I hope you'll consider becoming

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<v Speaker 2>a regular donor to Patristic Nectar today