FORMATION
FORMATION 1997
THEME NO.6
‘A renewed appreciation of
Baptism as the basis for Christian living’ (TMA 41)
1. Formation Prayer
(To be recited by all present).
In the name of the Father …
Heavenly Father, as we commence this session
of the Formation Programme, help us to believe you are near to us and that you care for
each one of us every day of our lives. Send the Holy Spirit to be our helper and our
guide, enlightening our minds, giving us the grace to serve you with generous hearts and
inspiring us to stand firm as Christians in your love. We ask this through Christ our
Lord. Amen.
2. Scripture Reading - Ephesians
4:1–6
(Read by the discussion leader or the
member nominated by him.)
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg
you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to
maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
3. The Message
(Read by the discussion leader or the
member nominated by him.)
Saint Paul wishes to exhort Christians to
preserve unity by avoiding bickering and disputes on secondary matters. He does this by
listing the many things which unite us. The passage also emphasises that Baptism is never
a private affair between God and the individual. Baptism is above all the incorporation
into a community. We need to stress this communitarian aspect because of our long
tradition of almost exclusive infant baptism. It is by baptism that we become the
"living stones" to be "built into a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood". When we become a member of the Church through Baptism, we not only
belong to ourselves but we also belong to him who died and rose for us. As the Catechism
of the Catholic Church states, the baptism person is called to be subject to others, to
serve them in the communion of the Church and to "obey and submit" to the
Church’s leaders, holding them in respect and affection. Just as we have certain
duties and responsibilities because of Baptism, so we also enjoy rights within the Church,
to receive the Sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the
other spiritual helps of the Church. "Reborn as sons of God", those who are
baptised must profess before men and women the faith they have received from God through
the Church and participate in the apostolic and missionary activity of the People of God.
4. The Exercise
(Five minutes of reflection by all
members.)
The ceremony of Baptism is sometimes referred
to as being Christened. Why is this an appropriate word to describe Baptism?
How should my Baptismal status influence my
daily life?
How should my Baptismal status influence my
involvement in this group?
5. The Sharing
(Members share aspects of their personal
faith and its place in their lives that have come to them through the Exercise.)
6. The Word
(The basis of meditation and reflection
for the ensuing month given by the discussion leader.)
"As many of you as were baptised into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
7. Closing Prayer
(Recited by all members)
Lord God, in baptism we die with Christ to
rise again in him. Strengthen us by your Spirit to walk in the newness of life as your
adopted children. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
