Word to the Wise
Thursday, October 16, 2014 - Thursday in the 28th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 1:1-10 and Luke 11:47-54]"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. [Ephesians]
The Letter to the Ephesians begins with a completely different tone from that of Galatians [which makes some scholars doubtful of its Pauline authorship]. From the aggressive and irate tone of Galatians we come to a much more positive and almost "cosmic" vision of God's plan for humanity. The opening words are really a majestic hymn to that reality. Everything appears to have been a part of God's creating providence, revealed in Christ.
The full meaning of the hymn will unfold in the rest of the letter. Obviously the human race has not always been holy and without blemish, even if God tried to make that possible in the Garden of Eden! Nevertheless, the hymn offers us a magnificent possibility that we may strive to live up to. It is inspiring to think of oneself as part of a much greater and very profound purpose, and not just as one life lived in a few years compared with all of time. I urge the Beloved Congregation to read the whole hymn and let it "sing" in the heart and mind. AMEN