Word to the Wise
Wednesday, October 21, 2020 - Wednesday in the 29th Week in Ordinary Time
[Eph 3:2-12 and Luke 12:39-48]To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ and to bring to light for all the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the Church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens. This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him. [Ephesians]
The broad vision of the Letter to the Ephesians continues in today's first scripture. Several different aspects are mentioned: First of all, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a "mystery" planned by God from all eternity. Second, this mystery has gradually unfolded in human history but has come to full revelation in the person of Jesus Christ. Third, Paul has been called by God to make it known to the whole world that the mystery of Christ is intended not just for Jews but for anyone who comes to faith through Paul's preaching. Fourth, this message stands in contradiction to the "powers and authorities" of evil that reigned in the world before the revelation of Jesus Christ, whose death and resurrection signal victory over them.
These are very lofty thoughts that may seem to be a luxury in a time of pandemic or mid-term tests and applications to professional school , etc. But these thoughts can lift us out of challenges inside and out that seem determined on a daily basis to overwhelm us. We are part of something very very big. The current effort of the Osiris-Rex space exploration to gather materials going back to the "Big Bang" origins of the universe serves to underline the "mystery" of why God chose this one planet as a setting for God's providential care. Yet, that is what we believe and the history and ultimate context in which human history has unfolded. Ephesians will have more to say to us about all of this. Stay tuned! AMEN