Word to the Wise
Monday, September 6, 2021 - Monday in the 23th Week in Ordinary Time
[Col 1:24—2:3 and Luke 6:6-11]
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2021 MONDAY IN THE 23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [LABOR DAY, USA]
[Colossians 1:24-2:3 and Luke 6:6-11]
I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his Body, which is the Church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past. But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory. It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. [Colossians]
In the first 23 verses of this letter, Paul presents a glorious vision of the plan of salvation in Christ. In today's passage, he presents himself as one who has been called by God to reveal this plan of salvation to the whole world. Two questions have arisen over the centuries of reflection on this passage.
First, is Paul suggesting that he is making up for some lack in the sufferings of Christ for our salvation? The answer, according to all authorities I know of, is that he is referring to the sufferings of the Church, the Body of Christ, which he takes on personally in performing his ministry. I think of the experience in which one may "take on" the sufferings of a close friend or one's child and making an offering of that in prayer. I know that I have felt acutely some of the sorrows I have heard from particular parishioners and wish that I could find some meaning to offer from it. In any case, Paul is not implying anything lacking in Christ's own suffering, which would contradict what was said in the overall vision earlier.
The second question has to do with the idea of "mystery." In Paul's time there were many religious groups that claimed to have secret knowledge that would be revealed only to those who were "initiated" into the group. For Paul, as for us today, the task is to make known what is not known, namely the "mystery" of Christ. The one thing we don't want to do is to make a secret of Jesus!! On the contrary, we want to invite everyone to share the "mystery" which is the unfolding of God's plan in history. We are part of that as the Body of Christ.
In the midst of everyday challenges and struggles which seem to keep any "big picture" from forming, the Letter to the Colossians reminds us that we can "get a grip" and find hope in the "mystery" of Christ. This is a "labor" well worth the effort! AMEN
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