Today we have the final reading from Colossians (Colossians 3:12-17) and it is a continuation of yesterday’s reading. After warning against some negative behaviors, Paul makes beautiful statements about what the Colossian Christians should be. The Colossians are “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” and, because of that, they are to be clothed in “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” When they ‘clothed’ themselves with Christ at their baptism, all these qualities also needed to be part of what they ‘wear ’.
Israel was the original Chosen People, but now the Christian community shares this name. Being chosen by God is a constant theme in Paul’s letters, but the Scriptures never teach that our being chosen frees us from being responsible for our behavior. We will not be saved against our will. On the contrary, it is because Christians have been chosen for eternal salvation that they must exert every effort (with God’s grace) to live a life in harmony with the example set by Christ. For Paul, divine kingship and human responsibility go hand in hand.
We are God’s “chosen ones, holy and beloved. Our holiness is less a matter of our own efforts than our having been sanctified through Baptism and our incorporation into the Christian community. As Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper: “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16)
Frictions, divisions and disunity can never be totally avoided, but Paul says they must be dealt with by a high level of tolerance and acceptance of others and a readiness for forgiveness and reconciliation. The reason is simple: the Lord has forgiven us, so we also must forgive. The Gospel has much to say on this. Examples include Peter being told to forgive 70 times 7 times; the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35); and the command to love our enemies, to pray for them and bless them (Matthew 5:44). The ‘new’ commandment is that we love each other as Christ has loved us and the greatest love is to give one’s life for one’s friends. With this in place, everything else—absolutely everything else—is taken care of.
Once we are totally united with Christ and his way of living, then we are where we belong; we are responding to the deepest needs of our being—the result can only be a sense of inner peace and harmony, even if all round us there are storms. (That surely is the meaning of the story of the disciples in the boat with Jesus in a stormy sea. With Jesus in the boat, there came a great calm.)
In the final part of the reading, Paul speaks about how the Colossians should pray and worship together:
- Let the Word of Christ, in all its richness, find a home in you.
- Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.
What we need is not just knowledge or information about our faith, but the wisdom that comes from deep insight into its meaning for our lives. There is also wisdom in the whole group, which individuals do not have. - With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.
Paul sums up his exhortation by urging that: “…whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Everything we Christians do is done for him. All is for the greater glory of God. We try to seek and find and respond to him in every experience, in every person we meet. We wish that our every thought, intention, action and response be directed solely to the praise and service of our Lord. Let us learn to be aware that every moment, every happening of our day, is a sacred point of contact with God.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!