Reading 1
Col 3:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
But now you must put them all away:
anger, fury, malice, slander,
and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all.
Gospel
Lk 6:20-26
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
Meditation: Colossians 3:1-11
If Paul ever needed a second job, he could have easily found a position writing technical manuals.
He could be clear and concise when he needed to, and he never minced words. Just as a manual tells you how to use a particular appliance or gadget, Paul tells us clearly how to take hold of the new life that Jesus has won for us. It’s as simple as A+B=C—look to heaven, put off the “old self,” and put on the “new self.” He even gives real-life examples of what the old self looks like so that we can identify it and deal with it—just like the illustrations in a user’s manual!
If Paul is so clear, why are we so muddled? Why do we find it hard to put into practice what he lays out in such step-by-step detail? We want to do good. We want to overcome our old lives. But we just can’t seem to get very far.
One answer is that it takes time. After all, sin is deeply rooted in our minds and hearts. We can’t be naïve enough to think it will all go away overnight. That’s why God has given us the gift of Confession, as well as the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist. We need all the mercy we can get. And we sorely need the strength, comfort, and grace that come from receiving Jesus in his body and blood!
But there is another answer. Paul was so clear because he was determined to do whatever it took to get closer to the Lord. His clarity did not come only from deep theology or intellectual inquiry. It was also forged in the daily spiritual battle that he willingly took up.
If we follow Paul’s lead and take up the battle ourselves, we will find ourselves transformed. We will discover the power of the Holy Spirit, encouraging us, strengthening us, cheering us on, and convincing us more and more of God’s love for us. And as a result, we too will become clear about the gospel, ready to share it with everyone we meet.
“Lord, I choose to yield myself to you today. I want to follow the example of all your saints and enter into the spiritual battle today. So come, Holy Spirit, and clothe me in the armor of God. I so want to become like Jesus!”
Psalm 145:2-3,10-13; Luke 6:20-26
No comments:
Post a Comment