Today is a special occasion. We have the baptism of Rofiat, Iremide and Araire. It’s also a time to think about the vows that the rest of us made, or that were made on our behalf.
Baptism symbolises the beginning of our journey with God, which continues for the rest of our lives; our first step in response to God’s love.
At the end, the candidates will be given a lighted candle as a sign of that new life, a picture of the light of Christ conquering the darkness of evil. Everyone who is baptized walks in that light for the rest of their lives.
Festival of Light
Our reading from the Gospel of John today starts with us being told that it was the time of the Festival of Dedication, which is also called the Festival of Light or Hanukkah. It’s a celebration that remembers the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, a couple of centuries before Jesus, after it had fallen into the hands of an invader who had used it to worship their own gods – and, by doing so, desecrated the sacred space. When they regained the Temple, they found there was only a single days’ worth of ritually pure oil left for the lamps – but they lit them anyway and the oil miraculously lasted for 8 days, the time needed for new purified oil to be made ready.
Hanukkah is still remembered by the Jewish community today, around the same time as our Christmas, symbolised by lots of candles and lights. At its heart, Hanukkah is a family festival of light and renewal, publicly reclaiming holy space and holy purpose. Often, you’ll see lighted candles placed in a prominent window or near the front door to remind those who pass-by of the miracle.
Dedication
In the reading, we’re told that Jesus himself was in the Temple during this Festival (John 10:22-23). John mentions it for a reason. For just as the Temple was rededicated, so too does Christ, the Light of the World, offer us the gift of a rededicated life—one that is set apart, consecrated for God’s purposes. By coincidence, the new Pope called for lives rededicated to peace.
In Baptism, we witness another form of dedication. When we baptize a child or adult, we do more than pour water or speak ancient words. We are claiming and cleansing, naming and setting apart a new member of the family of the God. Just as the Temple, the sacred space, was cleansed and rededicated, Baptism is a holy act symbolising the cleansing and rededicating of our souls to be a temple, a sacred space, for the Holy Spirit.
That means Rofiat, Iremide and Araire – the godparents and Sally and me and every one of us here today. We are each a temple, each a sacred space, for the Holy Spirit.
God sustains
The Hanukkah menorah, the 9-branched candlestick, is lit night after night as a reminder of the miracle of the oil that lasted longer than it should have. It’s a sign that God sustains what is consecrated to Him. In Baptism, we light a candle, too, saying, “Shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father.” The same God who kept the oil burning in the Temple is the One who keeps the flame of faith alive in each of us who are consecrated to him.
So, whether we look to the ancient Temple in Jerusalem or to the baptismal font today, we see the divine story played out in the family and in the community: A story of a God who redeems, restores, and reignites.
May Rofiat, Iremide and Araire – and all of us here today – be dedicated and rededicated to His service. May all our lives be a sacred space of praise, and may the light of Christ, once lit in us, never go out – so that we each may light the way for those who pass by. For, as Pope Leo XIV said in his first mass, we are called to act as a “beacon that illuminates the dark nights of this world.” Amen
‘Shine as a Light’ was delivered by Ian Banks for a Baptism service at St Margaret’s, Heywood on 11th May 2025. It was based on John 10:22-30.
References:
- https://hebrewwordlessons.com/2021/11/28/revisiting-hanukkah-dedication/
- 1 Maccabees 4:36-59 and 2 Maccabees 10:1-8