In preparation for Holy Week, and in preparation of the liturgy for Holy Saturday, or The Great Paschal Vigil as it was known centuries ago, I have been studying Holy Week celebrations and baptism ceremonies that have roots going back to the earliest centuries of the church. I find these fascinating, but I’m kind of a geek sometimes, so take that into account.
One of the things I had not realized up until now was the connection between exorcism and baptism. In the Fourth Century (and many centuries following), it was common practice to exorcise those who were to be baptized on Holy Saturday. It was seen as part of the spiritual preparation for what was coming. I realize that this notion may seem farfetched and almost theatrical to us, who have been more shaped by horror movies about exorcism than the church’s teaching on exorcism. When we allow our view on such things to be shaped by the horror movies of popular culture, it both sensationalizes what the church has historically done, as well as places it into the realm of fiction. So when we picture an exorcism it is quite possible that the first thing that comes to mind is a person convulsing, eyes rolling around in their sockets, and spewing something out of their mouths. And then we would quickly remind ourselves that these are the products of an imaginative film director armed with powerful, computer generated special effects. In other words, the whole thing is both obscene and unreal.
This was not, however, the belief of the majority of Christians who have lived in the centuries prior to ours.
Continue reading “Baptism as Battle”