There is an ancient Christian text called the Catechism of Jerusalem, a selection of which was given for today’s Office of Readings.
It has a teaching about baptism that is worth our attention and thought today.
My English translation of the Italian text I use.
“May no one think that baptism only consists of the remission of sins and the grace of adoption, like the baptism of John which conferred solely the remission of sins. We know however that baptism, while it frees us from sin and obtains for us the gift of the Holy Spirit, also is a figure and expression of the Passion of Christ. Because of this Paul proclaims, ‘Do you not know that those who have been baptized in Christ Jesus, have been baptized into his death? By means of baptism therefore we have been buried together with him in death.’ (Romans 6: 3-4a)”
The three-fold effect of baptism: the remission of all our sins; the gift of the Holy Spirit; the participation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
During this Easter season, let us recall this great gift of love from God, and joyfully go forth to witness to its reality in our lives.
