Baptism in the Spirit and Fire

The men's group met again at 7am this morning to watch Father Dave giving a talk on "Baptism in the Spirit and Fire". This is the third session of a 14-week series on the understanding of the Holy Spirit (http://thewildgooseisloose.com/). The main biblical text for this session is taken from Matthew 3:11:
"I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

These words were spoken by John the Baptist, right before Jesus coming to the river Jordan to be baptized by him. But he said those words directed against the Pharisees and Sadducees who also were coming for his baptism (Matthew 3:7-10):
"But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

The words that followed Matthew 3:11 were the continuation of John the Baptist's pronouncement of judgement to those who came to his baptism only for the cleansing of their sins but had no intention to repent of them (see meaning of repentance in Note 1):
"His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12)

Notice the word "fire" which in this context was meant for judgement (verses 10 and 12), whereas the "fire" that comes with Jesus' baptism is one of purification (verse 11).

The rich setting of the river Jordan is particularly meaningful to me. For in the Old Testament, it is a river that signifies deliverance and healing. Like the Red Sea, the Israelites were able to cross it on dry ground to enter the Promised Land (Joshua 3:14-17). And Naaman the Syrian was cured of his leprosy after dipping into the Jordan river 7 times at the command of the prophet Elisha, after which he gave this testimony: "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel" (2 King 5:14-15). The Ignatius Study Bible pointed out that these Old Testament events prefigure the saving power of the Sacrament of Baptism (CCC 1222).

I had a chance to read through the Catechism again on the Sacrament of Baptism (CCC 1213-1284). These two verses really speak to me:
1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission: "Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration through water in the word."
1280 Baptism imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual sign, the character, which consecrates the baptized person for Christian worship. Because of the character Baptism cannot be repeated (cf. DS 1609 and DS 1624).

The discussion this morning with the men around my table concerned whether a baptized believer required another baptism (in the Holy Spirit - with all its paranormal manifestations) to have a more powerful christian experience. I don't think the church teaches it. I love my church and her teaching! And I thank the work of the Holy Spirit along with my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus:
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Note:
(1) Meaning of repentance as defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart). (CCC 143)