When the Homily is about Immunology

More than one way to be Baptized

All of my Christian life, I have been taught that to be "born again" meant simply that you "accepted Jesus into your heart" - a phrase which is curiously absent from the New Testament - and yet much used by those who stake all of their religion on what is and generally only what is in said writings. Being "born again" for the Orthodox is to be born of water (baptism) and the Spirit (chrismation). Interestingly enough we regularly baptize and chrismate infants, who I suspect alone are able to say that it was none of their doing - it is wholly the work of God, as our Lord taught.

Fr. Thomas Hopko relates an intriguing and somewhat humorous story concerning the Martyrdom of a Saint Christina (3-4th century I believe) who was after numerous tortures finally drowned. According to the story as she was being drowned, the people there present witnessed a miraculous vision in which the Saint was seen being held in the arms of Jesus. As she was going under the water the people heard Jesus saying: "The servant of God, Christina, is baptized in the name of the Father, ME, and the Holy Spirit."

We remember the Martyr Christina on July 24th.

Holy Saint Christina, pray unto God for us.