Formal Post: Baptism is Cool

Baptism is Cool

In Lectures on Christian Sacraments, Saint Cyril writes not only about the origins and traditions of baptism, but also about the spiritual meaning to the procedure. Symbols play a large part in Cyril’s spiritual traditions, and he emphasizes baptism’s breaking of bondage. Saint Cyril describes baptism by comparing the Exodus from Egypt to the procedure of baptism. Both are situations where the people are breaking away from oppression; one is from the slavery under Pharaoh and the other is from Satan’s ironclad grip. Cyril’s portrayal of baptism depicts Christians breaking out of the bondage of slavery to Satan.
In his first Mystagogical Catechesis, Cyril writes about the rites before baptism, and in the first few paragraphs he explains “the deep meaning to you-ward of what was done on that evening of your baptism” (Cyril, 53). Cyril’s fascination stems from the fact of how similar the story of the Israelites Exodus into the Promised Land is so similar to Jesus being sent to save Christians from Satan. He compares both stories, writing “there we have Moses sent from God to Egypt; here, Christ, sent by His Father into the world: there, that Moses might lead forth an oppressed people out of Egypt; here, that Christ might rescue mankind who are whelmed under sins” (Cyril, 54). Cyril compares the blood of the lamb used in the first Passover to ward off the angel of death to the blood of the Lamb of Christ, which keeps Satan at bay. And finally just as water drowned Pharaoh and his army, the baptism water drowns Satan. The coming of Jesus, making baptism possible, is depicted as releasing the stranglehold of Satan, similar to the stranglehold of Pharaoh (Cyril, 54). Cyril has established the connection between baptism and the freedom from slavery to the Egyptians, and he goes on to introduce the rites before baptism.
In the next paragraphs of his first Mystagogical Catechesis, Cyril goes through the movements and words spoken in baptism by Christians. Being baptized, one speaks to Satan, saying “I renounce thee, Satan…and all thy works…and all his pomp…and all they service” (Cyril, 54-56). In speaking as if we are actually speaking to Satan, we are emphasizing the image of Christians standing up to him and throwing off the chains of slavery. By being baptized we are embracing Jesus who came to save us and renouncing Satan, whose hold on humankind had been strong since Adam and Eve. We also renounce everything done by him, thereby distancing ourselves even further from our former ruler. But perhaps the toughest thing to do is to renounce his pomp. Satan’s pomp can extremely tempting for humans (Cyril, 56), and it had been his main stranglehold on society since the beginning. Satan easily lures humans in with temptations, but in baptism Christians renounce those appeals. With the conclusion of these statements, Christians have completely renounced Satan and once baptized are protected by Jesus.
Saint Cyril depicts life before the coming of Jesus as slavery to Satan. Although not visible slavery, it was just as strong as the slavery the Israelites suffered under Pharaoh. However, the coming of Jesus gave Christians the opportunity to break this curse of death by Satan if they renounce Satan through baptism. Baptism is the way out of slavery, a slavery compared to the one in Egypt.

Bibliography

St. Cyril. Lectures on the Christian Sacraments. Edited by F.I. Cross. Crestwood, NY: St.
Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1951.