How precious is water?

With all the freezing weather lately many people have been doing without water. Pipes are freezing and subsequently breaking, water pressure is low and sometimes it's just a good old power outage that prevents pumps from working. I got to experience the frustration of no water this morning personally. For us, power outages allowed a small line from my water pump to freeze and the pump went bye-bye. Fortunately, the pump is smart and shut itself down only requiring a reset. Unfortunately, neither my wife or I knew that so we did indeed pay for a service call. All things considered, not that big of a deal.

For the 5 hours or so we lived without water, I had an opportunity to think about this precious commodity. We all know the many physical reasons we need water, both good clean drinking water and an adequate supply to keep things clean. Water is the lifeblood of our everyday existence.

Water was a pretty serious subject of discussion yesterday as we celebrated the Baptism of the Lord at churches throughout the world yesterday. John the Baptist was baptizing with water and explained that one mightier than he, namely Jesus Christ, would come baptizing with more than just water but also the Holy Spirit and fire.

The discussion of the Lord's Baptism gave rise to an opportunity to reflect on the Sacrament of Baptism. I have mentioned previously that among the many varied things that I am allowed to do as ordained clergy, Baptism is among one of my favorites. This is a poorly worded way to describe things but I am left with only human words.

In the rite of Baptism, we encounter water throughout the rite. In one of the Gospels we read for a Baptism we hear of water. "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." These words of Jesus to Nicodemus in the beginning of the third chapter of John puts strong emphasis on water.

When children are brought forward to the font, the celebrant prays, "my dear brothers and sisters, we now ask God to give these children new life in abundance through water and the Holy Spirit."

Next comes the beautiful and wonderful prayer when the water is actually blessed before it is poured on the children. Here is that prayer:

"Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In Baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament. At the very dawn of creation your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. The waters of the great flood you made a sign of the waters of baptism, that make an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness. Through the waters of the Red Sea you led Israel out of slavery, to be an image of God's holy people, set free from sin by Baptism.
In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Spirit.
Your Son willed that water and blood should flow from his side as he hung upon the cross.
After his resurrection he told the disciples: 'go out and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit'.
Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism. By the power of the Spirit give to the water of this font the grace of your Son.
You created man in your own likeness: cleanse him from sin in a new birth to innocence by water and the Spirit.
We ask you, Father, with your Son to send the Holy Spirit upon the water of this font. May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also wit him to newness of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord."

What a beautiful prayer.

And as the celebrant pours water over the newly baptized three times, he says I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

This use of water and its' powerful symbol of washing clean is why we continue to use water in liturgy and in the simple act of entering the church. We first go to the holy water and dipping our hand in the water we make the sign of the cross. At many of the Sunday Masses we have what is called a sprinkling rite. We used one yesterday at all Masses in my parish. Again the rite begins with a beautiful prayer: "God our Father, your gift of water brings life and freshness to the earth; it washes away our sins and brings us eternal life." In another form of the prayer we ask: "give us living water, always springing up as a fountain of salvation."

So water is the essential sign and symbol of Baptism.

One last reference to water; we must recall the words of Jesus when he encounters the woman at the well. In the fourth chapter of John's Gospel Jesus refers to himself as living water. He proclaims, "whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Next time water disappoints, like it did me this morning or even can be a very real threat, like the vivid memories from 2005 and Hurricane Katrina remember the powerful effect of water in God's divine plan for our eternal happiness.