No one can begin a new life, unless he repent of the old.

Just as a man cannot live in the flesh unless he is born in the flesh, even so a man cannot have the spiritual life of grace unless he is born again spiritually. This regeneration is effected by Baptism: "Unless a man is born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5)  - St. Thomas Aquinas: (1225 – 1274: was an Italian Dominican friar, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church)

Gospel Text: (JN 3:1-8)

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

He came to Jesus at night and said to him,

"Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God,

for no one can do these signs that you are doing

unless God is with him."

Jesus answered and said to him,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to him,

"How can a man once grown old be born again?

Surely he cannot reenter his mother's womb and be born again, can he?"

Jesus answered,

"Amen, amen, I say to you,

unless one is born of water and Spirit

he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

What is born of flesh is flesh

and what is born of spirit is spirit.

Do not be amazed that I told you,

'You must be born from above.'

The wind blows where it wills,

and you can hear the sound it makes,

but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes;

so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

The first sacrament in the Church is baptism, the sacrament of initiation. In baptism we are freed from the sin of Adam, receive God's gift of grace and become members of his Church; we receive the gift of faith, the Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life. Without baptism we cannot receive the other sacraments.

In the Gospel reading Jesus tells Nicodemus that "no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit." Baptism is a re-birth into God's grace and life, through its cleansing waters. Baptism is also seen as dying to sin and death and rising to new life with and in Christ.

Let us thank God for his sharing of his divine life with us when we were baptized: "Given a new birth [in baptism] by water and the Holy Spirit, may we live always as members of his body, sharing everlasting life."