“St Paul at his Writing-Desk” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1629-30 |
Brothers and sisters:
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.
For this I labor and struggle,
in accord with the exercise of his power working within me.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for you
and for those in
that their hearts may be encouraged
as they are brought together in love,
to have all the richness of assured understanding,
for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
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Commentary on Col 1:24–2:3
This selection begins with St. Paul telling the Colossians that the revelation of God’s plan is brought to completion in Christ, and he (Paul), in his suffering for the sake of that Gospel, is passing on that revelation to them. Going forward in his example, he hopes to encourage those whom he has not met to continue to live in the love of Christ and one another. There is a consistent understanding expressed by the apostle that all Christians are called to faith, even in the face of suffering. While through Christ’s suffering salvation was achieved, through the suffering of the faithful, conformity with Christ is brought nearer.
CCC: Col 1:24 307, 618, 1508; Col 1:27 568, 772
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 62:6-7, 9
R. (8) In God is my safety and my glory.
Only in God be at rest, my soul,
for from him comes my hope.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
Trust in him at all times, O my people!
Pour out your hearts before him;
God is our refuge!
R. In God is my safety and my glory.
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Commentary on Ps 62:6-7, 9
This song is one of deep and abiding faith. The singer trusts only in God (“He only is my rock”) and is at peace in God’s abiding love. The psalmist calls to the people to come to the Lord in times of trouble. God's refuge is large enough to shelter a whole nation.
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Gospel: Luke 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
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Commentary on Lk 6:6-11
In this passage from St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is challenging the strict interpretation of Mosaic Law that says the sabbath must be a day of complete rest and no work may be done. In front of the most scrupulous of these, the Pharisees, Jesus cures the man with a withered hand, exactly what they were waiting for, but asks them before he does so if they understand the difference between good and evil. The deeper question probably made them more upset than the actual action of curing the man.
CCC: Lk 6:6-9 581
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Reflection:
[1] The picture is “St Paul at his Writing-Desk” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, 1629-30.
[2] S.S Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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