Study and Meditations on this Sunday's Scripture Readings: November 21st

[Fidelis]

To help us prepare for this coming Sunday, here are the readings and reflections for this coming Sunday’s Scripture readings. This Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King, Cycle C. It is the last Sunday in that liturgical cycle; next Sunday is the First Sunday of the season of Advent, and the beginning of a new liturgical cycle, Cycle A.

Here are the Scripture readings from the U.S. Catholic bishops website.

My own weekly study can be found here under “Current Study.”

Here are three audio reflections on the readings by Sister Ann Shields, Dr. Scott Hahn and Fr. Robert Barron.

Here are a trio of Catholic Bible study podcasts on the Gospel Reading, each about an hour long:

–Sunday Gospel Scripture Study
–Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother
–St. Martha’s Adult Faith Formation

The Navarre Bible Commentary for each reading can be viewed here.

Further study resources for the Readings: *St. Charles Borromeo Bible Study *can be found here, and Catholic Matters can be found here.

An excellent article from “The Rosary Light and Life” website which tells what it means for Jesus Christ to be our king can be found here.

Please consider supporting those who provide these free resources. Discussion, questions and charitable comments are always welcome. Have a blessed week!

http://www.stanne-byzcath.org/Christ the King.jpg

 

[Barbkw]

Thank you for the post, looks like we all have some readings to do!

 

[Fidelis]

Thank you for the post, looks like we all have some readings to do!

You’re welcome, Barbkw. Stay tuned to this thread-- there’s more to come throughout the weekend.

 

[Fidelis]

**1st Reading - 2 Samuel 5:1-3 (this same reading can also be found in 1 Chronicles 11:1-5)
**
The main purpose of 1 and 2 Samuel is to provide a history of the foundation of the kingdom of Israel and the settlement of the throne on David and his line. In the chronology of events, those portrayed in the book of Judges immediately precede those recounted in the books of Samuel. At the end of Judges, the people saw a monarchy as the only way out of a situation of internal strife and anarchy. Outside enemies had been reduced to one, the Philistines, who were established along the Mediterranean coast; but the Philistines were so formidable and expansionist that the very survival of Israel seemed to be at stake and the tribes really needed to combine forces.

Samuel, who is regarded as the last of the judges, was the man chosen to bring about this unification. God used him to make Saul the first king of Israel. Everything connected with this choice of Saul, as with later events resulting from it, shows that God is still with His people; He is going to bring them to new political and military heights. The Philistines (descended from Egypt, son of Ham, son of Noah) are defeated, though not brought under total control. Like the Ammonites (descended from Ammon who was the result of the incestuous union of Lot and his younger daughter), Moabites (descended from Moab who was the result of the incestuous union of Lot and his older daughter), Edomites (the word Edom means ‘red’) descended from Esau], and Aramites (descended from Shem), they become tributaries of Israel. This whole campaign was brought to a conclusion during the reign of David, whose vassal even the king of Tyre became. The effect of all this is that all Transjordan (the area on the opposite side of the Jordan River from Israel) came to be dominated by David.

Our reading today is of the anointing of David as king of Israel. David was 30 years old and reigned for 40 years.

Here is the 1st Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

In those days, all the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
“Here we are, your bone and your flesh.
In days past, when Saul was our king,
it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back.
And the LORD said to you,
‘You shall shepherd my people Israel
and shall be commander of Israel.’”
When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron,
King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD,
and they anointed him king of Israel.

 

[Fidelis]

The Navarre Bible Commentary on the 1st Reading, with RSV-CE text:

*[1] Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. [2] In times past, when Saul was king over us. it was you that led out and brought in Israel; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” [3] So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed David king over Israel. *

5:1-5. David’s consecration as king of Israel is told quite simply but the account emphasizes details of primary importance in salvation history: the tribes of the North and the South are all brothers: “we are your flesh and bone” (v. 1); the images of the shepherd (v. 2), David’s original profession, conveys the notion of a ruler and king who governs not for his own advantage but for the welfare of his subjects; David’s covenant with the leaders (v. 3) is in line with the general doctrine of covenant which is the basis of God’s relations with his people, and of those between Israelite and Israelite; the figures given for David’s reigns (seven as king of Judah, forty as king of Judah and Israel) are symbols of plenitude. Even in the New Testament the numbers seven and forty have the same connotation (cf. Mt 4:2; 18:22; Rev 1:11; Acts 4:22; etc.). Hebron, the place where David was also anointed king of Judah, was the main city of the South; within it was the cave of Mach-pelah (cf. Gen 25:9) and close to it was the sacred oak of Mamre. However, it was replaced by Jerusalem perhaps to show that a new kingdom warranted a new royal base.

David is a figure of Jesus Christ on many counts, but they all derive from the fact that he is king: Jesus Christ, too will be acclaimed King of Israel. “But what did it mean for the Lord to be acclaimed the King of Israel? What did it mean to the King of all ages to be recognized as the king of men? Christ did not become the King of Israel in order to demand tributes or to raise armies and make war against the enemies [of Israel]; he became the King of Israel to reign over souls, to give counsel that leads to eternal life, to bring those who were filled with faith, hope and Love to the Kingdom of heaven” (St Augustine, “In loannis Evangelium”, 51, 4).

The liturgy of the Church uses this passage from the hook of Samuel for the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, together with the passage about the crucifixion (Lk 23:35-43). Jesus won his kingdom through his obedience, which has its climax in death on the cross, bringing about the definitive salvation of all mankind.

 

[Fidelis]

From the 1859 Haydock Commentary on the 1st Reading, with Douay-Rheims text (in the Douay-Rheims, 2 Samuel is called 2 Kings):

David is anointed king of all Israel…

1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David, in Hebron, saying: Behold we are thy bone and thy flesh.
**
Ver. 1.* Tribes. Thus were God’s promises sweetly fulfilled, and David obtained the quiet dominion over all Israel, excepting perhaps a few of the tribe of Benjamin, according to the Vulgate, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 29. an army of 340,822 was collected on this occasion; and David signalized the commencement of his reign, by the taking of Jerusalem. (Calmet) — The tribe is Issachar is not specified in the text; but Josephus asserts, that 20,000 of them assembled; so that the army would amount to 359 (Salien) or 60[360?] thousand, besides the 822. (Calmet) — These might be considered as deputies of all the rest of their brethren, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 38. They were abundantly supplied with all necessities. (Salien) — Flesh, of the same nation, as Moses had specified, Deuteronomy xvii. 15. (Calmet) — They now relinquish all the seeds of division, which had before hindered them from joining with their brethren of Juda. Kennicott discovers several important alterations, by comparing this history with 1 Chronicles xi. (Dissert. i.) (Haydock)
*
2 Moreover yesterday also and the day before, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that did lead out and bring in Israel: and the Lord said to thee: Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over Israel.*

Ver. 2. Lead out to battle. His experience in war was a great recommendation. (Haydock) — *Feed, *as a shepherd, under which character he is *first *represented. (Haydock) — Other rulers were afterwards honoured with the same title, (Calmet) particularly the governors of the Church, Acts xx., &c. David’s name is written without i, in the books before the captivity; whence Kennicott would infer, that the canticles were perhaps not the work of Solomon, as the *i *occurs there; Duid for Dud. (Haydock)

*3 The ancients also of Israel came to the king, to Hebron, and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David to be king over Israel.

Ver. 3. Ancients; princes of the tribes, and officers, (Calmet) with all the chief magistrates. (Haydock) — The high priest, Abiathar, received the oaths of allegiance from the people, and of the king, who promised to govern according to the laws of God. The ark was probably present, and innumerable sacrifices offered on this solemn occasion, as was usual, 1 Paralipomenon xii. 26. Hebron continued to be a place of sacrifices, chap xv. 7. (Calmet) — David had erected here a temporary altar and tabernacle, where Abiathar officiated in his pontifical robes, as it was not safe for the people to go into the dominions of Isboseth, either to Gabaon or to Cariathiarim. (Tostat) —* Israel,* acknowledging the right which David had to the throne, by God’s appointment. (Haydock; Worthington)

 

[Fidelis]

Other thoughts and comments on the 1st Reading:

1 All the tribes of Israel came to David: David had been anointed king of Judah seven years earlier (2 Samuel 2:4).

in Hebron: A city in the hill country of Judah, about 20 miles southeast of Jerusalem. It was the site of many well-known OT events and landmarks, including the oaks of Mamre where Abraham met the three mysterious visitors who predicted the birth of Isaac (Genesis 13:18; 18:1). After the conquest of the Promised Land, it was given to Caleb (Joshua 14:6-15). It served as the informal capital of Judah up until this time. Soon after the events related here, David would conquer Jerusalem and make that the capital of all Israel.

and said: "Here we are, your bone and your flesh: They claim their blood-relationship with him. They and he are sons of Abraham.

**2 In days past, when Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and brought them back: **They are referring to the successful battles against the Philistines when David was an officer in Saul’s army (2 Sm. 16:1-19: 7).

And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.’": Shepherd was a familiar metaphor for king (see Mi. 5:3). The tribal leaders are referring to 1 Sm. 16, where we are told that God gave orders to Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint David as king of his Chosen People.

**3 When all the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an agreement with them there before the LORD: **They made a covenant – a sacred promise, accompanied by an oath, which binds them together as a family. They had to promise fidelity and allegiance to him.

The two kingdoms were held together for a time based upon this covenant between king and people. David ruled over a 2-fold kingdom that eventually drew apart (in 722 B.C., upon the death of Solomon). When Solomon’s son Rehoboam failed to renew the covenant with the northern tribes, the kingdom was sundered in two (1 Kings 12ff).

and they anointed him king of Israel: The use of oil as a refreshing ointment was extremely common in the ancient world. The origin and precise symbolism of anointing as a sacred rite cannot be traced in Israel. It is clear that the purpose of anointing a person or thing was to make it sacred. It was done to priests, the tent of meeting, the ark, the furniture of the tent, and to kings. Saul, David, and Jehu were anointed by a prophet; Solomon was anointed by a priest; probably either sacred person could perform the ceremony.

David had already been anointed by Samuel as king of Israel. This is a public demonstration that he was accepted by all the tribes, north as well as south.

 

[Fidelis]

(There are no citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church for this Sunday’s 1st Reading, nor it’s parallel, 1 Chronicles 11:1-3)

Some questions on the 1st Reading for meditation and practical application:

There are three reasons given by the people as to why David should be their king:

1. They are his flesh and blood. What are some of the ways that we can be considered, as Catholic Christians, “flesh and blood” with Christ?

1. He led them against their enemies. How is Christ our leader in the battles that we fight? What is our role in this fight?

1. The promises that God made to him, “You shall shepherd my people, Israel and shall become commander of Israel”. How has Jesus fulfilled that in the Church? In your life? How is Christ your king?

 

[Fidelis]

A meditation for practical application from Catholic Matters:

**APPLICATION: **The institution of the feast of the Kingship of Christ was intended to be a rallying-call to all Christians to acknowledge the sovereignty of Christ, not only over all Christians and all men but over all of creation. He is king of all creation because, as the second reading today says, “through him, by him and in him all things subsist.” Therefore, he is the sovereign Master, Ruler, Protector and Judge of all created things. The title of King was chosen to express all these prerogatives, because he himself, in his moment of deepest humiliation, admitted to Pilate that he was King. He is given this title in most of the Old Testament prophecies concerning him.

The story of David’s anointing as king over all of Israel is recalled on this feast of the Kingship of Christ, because David was seen in the Old Testament as a type, a representation, of the future messianic king. The prophet Nathan promised David that a descendant of his would come “who would establish his throne forever” (2 Sm. 7: 16). Isaiah says of the future Messiah, “he will sit on David’s kingly throne, to give it lasting foundations of justice and right” (Is. 9: 6-7). In the prophet Jeremiah we read: “Nay, a time is coming, the Lord says, when I will raise up, from the stock of David, a faithful scion at last. The land shall have a king to reign over it, and reign over it wisely, giving just sentence and due reward” (Jer. 23: 5). To crown and confirm the Davidic typology, the Angel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary that the child she is to conceive “shall be known as the Son of the Most High; the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor, David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob eternally and his kingdom will have no end” Lk. 1: 32-33).

David, although the greatest of the kings of Israel, was but a poor shadow of Christ the King, whose reign extends, not only over all Israel, but over all the universe and all things created in heaven as well as on earth. David’s reign lasted a mere forty years. Christ’s reign is eternal. David was a mere man, a creature, sinful but repentant. Christ was the God man, sinless and all-perfect, who died on the cross to free all men from their sins. When David died his kingdom was very soon divided and decayed. Christ’s death was the beginning of his everlasting reign. His cross was the solid foundation of his kingdom on earth, his Church. It was the preparatory stage of his eternal kingdom in heaven.

As far back as the history of man on earth goes, we learn that wherever men lived in groups in society they had a chief, a ruler or king whose laws they obeyed. This is still the case. Living in society would be impossible without some supreme authority with the power to make laws and see that they are carried out. Whether they be kings, presidents or chiefs, our earthly rulers can and should make our lives less difficult and more bearable. For this reason we are bound to respect and obey their laws. But their power is limited, their help is restricted. Even if they could give us all the comforts and privileges that this earth can supply they would be only for a few short years. They cannot reach beyond our graves. They cannot in any way fulfill or satisfy man’s higher ambitions.

The Sovereign and King whom we commemorate and honor today has the key to death and to unending life. During our lifetime on earth he takes an active interest in our welfare. However, his principal concern is for our real, lasting welfare. He came on earth to bring us to heaven. His power over us and for us does not end, but really begins when we die. When we close our eyes in death we will see him as he is, and realize what he has been to us and what he has done for us. He came so that we should have life and have it abundantly, “whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.”

Let us say a heartfelt “thank you” to our Lord and King, our beloved Savior, today. Let us promise him loyal and faithful service during the years that are left to us here below. When he calls us before his judgment seat we can feel assured that he will welcome us with a “well done good and faithful servant.”

 

[Fidelis]

2nd Reading - Colossians 1:12-20

In Paul’s time Colossae was a small city in Asia Minor, situated in a region called Phrygia, in a valley of the Lycus River. Located in the same valley were Laodicea, about nine miles to the northeast; and Hierapolis, twelve miles to the North. This whole area is part of modern day Turkey. All that remains of Colossae today are some unimportant ruins.

Most of the inhabitants of the city, and in fact the whole region, were Gentiles, although Josephus tells us that Antiochus III “The Great” (223-187 B.C.) decided to transport 2000 Jewish families from Babylonia to Lydia and Phrygia. Acts 2:10 tells us that residents of Phrygia were among the Jews who heard Peter’s address in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Paul himself was not the founder of the Christian community of Colossae. Epaphras, a Colossian who had been converted by Paul at Ephesus, had brought the faith to Colossae and probably Laodicea and Hierapolis as well.

While he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul was visited by Epaphras who reported on the dangerous doctrinal tendencies of some local teachers. These teachings were the product of both Jewish and pagan influences. Basic to them was the belief that certain angelic beings had control over human affairs, and even over all creation. It had then become a primary concern to acquire a ‘knowledge’ (Greek gnosis) of these super beings and their workings in order to appease them. This type of belief jeopardized the position of Christ, who might be considered as one of, even if the most powerful of, many mediators between God and the universe. Paul had to confront these errors vigorously and point out clearly Christ’s unique place and all-powerful cosmic role in the universe.

The Jewish influence in the attempt to combine and resolve beliefs is evident in the references to observing suggested days, seasons, circumcision, and other Jewish practices. In some circles of Judaism there was a strong belief in the mediatorship and power of the angels.

Paul had to counter these dangerous tendencies by pointing out the all-sufficiency of Christ in His role in the universe. He had to point out that the fullness of the godhead was not shared by a multitude of intermediaries; all the fullness of God and His power was in Christ Himself. By His death on the cross, Christ had won a victory over all the forces that were considered to control the universe.

Here is the 2nd Reading as we will hear it this Sunday:

Brothers and sisters:
Let us give thanks to the Father,
who has made you fit to share
in the inheritance of the holy ones in light.
He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

 

[Fidelis]

Here is the Navarre Bible Commentary on the 2nd Reading, with RSV-CE text. Due to the richness and profundity of this passage, this will take several posts:

12-14. “The dominion of darkness”: the condition of enslavement to the devil of a person in the state of sin. As is frequent in Sacred Scripture (cf. Is 58:10; Jn 12:35; 1 Jn 1:5; 2:8; 2 Cor 6:14; Rom 13:11-14; Eph 5:7-13), the simile of movement from darkness to light is used to refer to “redemption” or the change from a condition of sin to one of righteousness and friendship with God, which is effected by infusion of sanctifying grace (cf. St Thomas, “Commentary on Col, ad loc.”).

“Light”: this is a symbol of the risen Christ and also of the abundance of graces which he won for mankind in his Easter Mystery. It also describes the whole ensemble of supernatural benefits which grace brings with it–goodness, righteousness (or holiness) and truth (cf. Eph 5:9), which lead to the glory of heaven (cf. 2 Cor 4:6). Hence the “rite of light”, so richly a symbol of supernatural realities, which has formed part of baptismal liturgy since the first centuries.

The struggle between light and the power of darkness is referred to in many passages of Sacred Scripture (cf. Jn 1:5, 9-11). Darkness means both evil and the power of the Evil One. Before the redemption took place, all men–as a consequence of original sin and their personal sins–were slaves to sin; this slavery darkened their minds and made it difficult for them to know God, who is the true light. Christ our Lord, by carrying out the redemption and obtaining forgiveness for our sins (cf. v. 14), rescued us from the kingdom of darkness from the tyranny of the Evil One, and brought us into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of truth and justice, of love and of peace (cf. “Preface for the Solemnity of Christ the King”), enabling us to enjoy “the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom 8:21).

“His beloved Son”: the Hebrew expression “Son of his love”, which is paralleled in the Greek, is one of the ways Jesus Christ is referred to in the New Testament (cf. Mt 12:6; Lk 20:13). A variation, “my Son, the Beloved”, is spoken by the voice from heaven, that is, by the Father, at Jesus’ baptism (cf. Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22) and at the Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:5; Mk 9:7; Lk 9:35).

By speaking in this way St Paul, like St John, is underlining the fact that “God is love” (l Jn 4:8). God’s love for us was made manifest by his sending his only Son into the world so that we might live through him (cf. 1 Jn 4:9). By dying on the Cross he won life for us; by redeeming us with his blood he obtained forgiveness for our sins (cf. Col 1:14; Eph 2:4ff): “He revealed to us that God is love, and he gave us the ‘new commandment’ of love (Jn 13:34), at the same time communicating to us the certainty that the path of love is open for all people, so that the effort to establish universal brotherhood is not a vain one (cf. “Gaudium Et Spes”, 38). By conquering through his death on the Cross evil and the power of sin, by his loving obedience he brought salvation to all” (John Paul II, “Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia”, 10).

On the meaning of “redemption” and “forgiveness of sins”, see the note on Eph 1:7-8.

Continued on next post…

 

[Fidelis]

Ephesians 1:7-8.
*[7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace [8] which he lavished upon us. *

St Paul now centers his attention on the redemptive work of Christ–the third blessing–which has implemented the eternal divine plan described in the preceding verses.

Redemption means “setting free”. God’s redemptive action began in the Old Testament, when he set the people of Israel free from their enslavement in Egypt (cf. Ex 11:7ff): by smearing the lintels of their doors with the blood of the lamb, their first-born were protected from death. In memory of this salvation God ordained the celebration of the rite of the passover lamb (cf. Ex 12:47). However, this redemption from Egyptian slavery was but a prefigurement of the Redemption Christ would bring about. “Christ our Lord achieved this task [of redeeming mankind and giving perfect glory to God] principally by the paschal mystery of his blessed passion, resurrection from the dead, and glorious ascension” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 5). By shedding his blood on the Cross, Christ has redeemed us from the slavery of sin, from the power of the devil, and from death (cf. note on Rom 3:24-25). He is the true passover Lamb (cf. Jn 1:29). “When we reflect that we have been ransomed ‘not with perishable things such as silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot’ (1 Pet 1:18f), we are naturally led to conclude that we could have received no gift more salutary than this power [given to the Church] of forgiving sins, which proclaims the ineffable providence of God and the excess of his love towards us” (“St Pius V Catechism”, I, 11, 10).

The Redemption wrought by Christ frees us from the worst of all slaveries–that of sin. As the Second Vatican Council puts it, “Man finds that he is unable of himself to overcome the assaults of evil successfully, so that everyone feels as though bound by chains. But the Lord himself came to free and strengthen man, renewing him inwardly and casting out the ‘ruler of this world’ (Jn 12:31), who held him in the bondage of sin. For sin brought man to a lower state, forcing him away from the completeness that is his to attain” (“Gaudium Et Spes”, 13).

In carrying out this Redemption, our Lord was motivated by his infinite love for man. This love, which far exceeds anything man could hope for, or could merit, is to be seen above all in the universal generosity of God’s forgiveness, for though “sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom 5:20); this forgiveness, achieved by Christ’s death on the cross, is the supreme sign of God’s love for us, for “greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). If God the Father gave up his Son to death for the remission of men’s sins, “it was to reveal the love that is always greater than the whole of creation, the love that is he himself, since ‘God is love’ (1 Jn 4:8, 16)”, John Paul II reminds us. “Above all, love is greater than sin, than weakness, than ‘the futility of creation’ (cf. Rom 8:20); it is stronger than death” (Redemptor Hominis", 9).

By enabling our sins to be forgiven, the Redemption brought about by Christ has restored man’s dignity. “Increasingly contemplating the whole of Christ’s mystery, the Church knows with all the certainty of faith that the Redemption that took place through the Cross has definitely restored his dignity to man and given back meaning to his life in the world, a meaning that was lost to a considerable extent because of sin” (“Redemptor Hominis”, 10). This action on God’s part reveals his wisdom and prudence.]

Prayer for Advancement in Holiness;
Exhortation to Gratitude (Continuation)
---------------------------------------
[l2] Give thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. [13] He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

12. We Christians should be grateful to God for his great mercy in deigning to free us from the power of the devil, forgiving our sins and making us worthy to “share in the inheritance of the saints”. We have benefited in so many ways: “In addition to the gift itself, he also gives us the power we need so receive it …]. God has not only honored us by making us share in the inheritance, but has made us worthy to possess it. And so we receive a double honor from God–firstly, the position itself; and secondly, the capacity to measure up to it” (Chrysostom, “Hom. on Col, ad loc.”).

Our sharing in “the inheritance of the saints” enables us to draw on the treasury of spiritual goods which the Church is continually applying to its members–prayers, sacrifices and all kinds of meritorious actions, which benefit every Christian. This “inheritance of the saints”—in which we begin to share in this present life–will be found in its full and permanent form by those who attain everlasting joy. The grace of conversion originates in God’s loving kindness. “Prior to God’s gift of grace, although not every man might be sinful there is nothing that he does or can do which would merit forgiveness or the grace of God. You must realize”, St John of Avila says, “that it is God who has brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light …]. And what caused him to do so was not your past merits or any service you have rendered him, but his kindness alone and the merits of our only mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord” (“Audi, Filia”, 65).

Continued on next post:

 

[Fidelis]

15-20. Now we come to a very beautiful hymn in praise of Christ’s sublime dignity as God and as man. This was a truth deserving emphasis in view of the danger to the faith which the false apostles’ teaching represented (cf. note on vv. 7-8). However, quite apart from the particular situation in Colossae, the sublime teaching contained in this canticle holds good for all times; it is one of the most important Christological texts in St Paul’s writings.

The real protagonist of this passage is the Son of God made man, whose two natures, divine and human, are always linked in the divine person of the Word. However, at some points St Paul stresses his divinity (vv. 16, 17, 18b and 19) and at others his humanity (vv. 15, 18a, 18c and 20). The underlying theme of the hymn is Christ’s total pre-eminence over all creation.

We can distinguish two stanzas in the hymn. In the first (vv. 15-17) Christ’s dominion is stated to embrace the entire cosmos, stemming as it does from his action as Creator: “in him all things were created” (v. 16). This same statement is made in the prologue to the fourth Gospel (cf. Jn 1:3), and it is implied in the Book of Genesis, which tells us that creation was effected by God’s word (cf. Gen 1:3, 6, 9, etc.). Since Christ is the Word of God, he is above all things, and therefore St Paul stresses that all angels–irrespective of their hierarchy or order–come under his sway.

Christ’s pre-eminence over natural creation is followed by his primacy in the economy of supernatural salvation, a second creation worked by God through grace. The second stanza (vv. 18-20) refers to this further primacy of Christ: by his death on the cross, Christ has restored peace and has reconciled all things–the world and mankind–to God. Jews and Gentiles both are called to form part of one body, the Church, of which Christ is the head; and all the celestial powers are subject to his authority.

This passage is, then, a sublime canticle celebrating Christ, the head by virtue of his surpassing excellence and his salvific action. “The Son of God and of the Blessed Virgin”, Pius XII teaches, “must be called the head of the Church for the special reason of his
preeminence. For the head holds the highest place. But none holds a higher place than Christ as God for he is the Word of the Eternal Father and is therefore justly called ‘the first-born of all creation’. None holds a higher place than Christ as man, for he, born of the
immaculate Virgin, is the true and natural Son of God, and by reason of his miraculous and glorious resurrection by which he triumphed over death he is ‘the first-born from the dead’. And none stands higher than he who, being the ‘one mediator between God and man’ (1 Tim 2:5), admirably unites earth with heaven; who, exalted on the Cross as on his throne of mercy, has drawn all things to himself” (“Mystici Corporis”, 15).

Continued on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

Hymn in Praise of Christ as Head of All Creation
------------------------------------------------
[15] He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;

1. By the unaided use of reason man can work out that God exists, but he could never, on his own, have grasped the essence of God: in this sense God is said to be invisible (cf. St Thomas, “Commentary on Col, ad loc.”). This is why it is said in St John’s Gospel that “no one has ever seen God” (Jn 1:18).

In Sacred Scripture we are told that man was created “in the image of God” (Gen 1:26). However, only the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, is the perfect image and likeness of the Father. “The image [likeness] of a thing may be found in something else in two ways; in one way it is found in something of the same specific nature–as the image of the king is found in his son; in another way it is found in something of a different nature, as the king’s image on the coin. In the first sense the Son is the image of the Father; in the second sense man is called the image of God; and therefore in order to express the imperfect character of the divine image in man, man is not simply called ‘the image’ but is referred to as being ‘according to the image’, whereby is expressed a certain movement or tendency to perfection. But it cannot be said that the Son of God is ‘according to the image’, because he is the perfect image of the Father” (“Summa Theologiae”, I, q. 35, a. 2 ad 3). And so, “for something to be truly an image, it has to proceed from another as similar to it in species, or at least in some aspect of the species” (“Summa Theologiae”, I, q. 35, a. 1, c.) To say that the Son is “image of the invisible God” means that the Father and the Son are one-in-substance–that is, both possess the same divine nature–, with the nuance that the Son proceeds from the Father. It also conveys the fact that they are two distinct persons, for no one is the image of himself.

The supreme revelation of God is that effected by the Son of God through his Incarnation. He is the only one who can say, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). His sacred humanity, therefore, reflects the perfections of God, which he possesses by virtue of the hypostatic union–the union of divine nature and human nature which occurs in his person, which is divine. The second Person of the Trinity restored man to his original dignity. The image of God, imperfect though it be, which there is in every man and woman, was blurred by Adam’s sin; but it was restored in Christ: God’s true self-image takes on a nature the same as ours, and thanks to the redemption wrought by his death, we obtain forgiveness of sins (v. 14).

Jesus Christ is the “first-born of all creation” by virtue of the hypostatic union. He is, of course, prior to all creation, for he proceeds eternally from the Father by generation. This the Church has always believed, and it proclaims it in the Creed: “born of the Father before time began …, begotten, not made, of one being [consubstantial] with the Father” (“Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed”).

In Jewish culture, the first-born was first in honor and in law. When the Apostle calls Jesus “the first-born of all creation”, he is referring to the fact that Christ has pre-eminence and headship over all created things, because not only does he pre-date them but they were all created “through him” and “for him” (v. 16).

Continued on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

[16] for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. [17] He isbefore all things, and in him all things hold together.

16-17. Jesus Christ is God; this is why he has pre-eminence over all created things. The relationships between Christ and creation are spelled out by three prepositions. “In him all things were created”: in Christ: he is their source, their center and their model or exemplary cause. “All things were created through him and for him”: through him, in other words, God the Father, through God the Son, creates all things; and for him, because he is the last end, the purpose or goal of everything.

St Paul goes on to say that “in him all things hold together”; “the Son of God has not only created everything: he conserves everything in being; thus, if his sovereign will were to cease to operate for even an instant, everything would return into the nothingness from which he drew everything that exists” (Chrysostom, “Hom. on Col, ad loc.”).

All created things, then, continue in existence because they share, albeit in a limited way, in Christ’s infinite fullness of existence or perfection. His dominion extends not only over celestial things but also over all material things, however insignificant they may seem: it embraces everything in heaven and in the physical universe.

The sacred text also points to Christ’s supremacy over invisible creation, that is, over the angels and celestial hierarchies (cf. Heb 1:5). If St Paul stresses this fact, it is to expose the errors of those who were depicting Jesus as a creature intermediary between
corporeal beings and spiritual created beings, and, therefore, lower than the angels.

*[18] He is the head of the body, the church, he is the beginning; the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. *

18. “He is the head of the body, the church”: this image shows the relationship of Christ with the Church, to which he sends his grace in abundance, bearing life to all its members. 'The head," St Augustine says, “is our very Savior, who suffered under Pontius Pilate and now, after rising from the dead, is seated at the right hand of the Father. And his body is the Church …] For the whole Church, made up of the assembly of the faithful–for all the faithful are Christ’s members–has Christ, as its head, who rules his body from on high” (“Enarrationes in Psalmos”, 56, 1).

St Paul unequivocally teaches that the Church is a body. "Now if the Church is a body it must be something one and undivided, according to the statement of St Paul: ‘We, though many, are one body in Christ’ (Rom 12:5). And not only must it be one and undivided, it must also be something concrete and visible, as our Predecessor of happy memory, Leo XIII, says in his Encyclical “Satis Cognitum”: ‘By the very fact of being a body the Church is visible.’ It is therefore an aberration from divine truth to represent the Church as something intangible and invisible, as a mere ‘pneumatic’ entity joining together by an invisible link a number of communities of Christians in spite of their difference in faith.

“But a body requires a number of members so connected that they help one another. And, in fact, as in our mortal organism when one member suffers the others suffer with it, and the healthy members come to the assistance of those who are ailing, so in the Church individual members do not live only for themselves but also help one another, alleviating their suffering and helping to build up the entire body” (Pius XII, “Mystici Corporis”, 7).

“He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead”: this can be said because he was the first man to rise from the dead, never again to die (cf. 1 Cor 15:20; Rev 1:5), and also because thanks to him it enabled men to experience resurrection in glory (cf. 1 Cor 15:22; Rom 8:11), because they are justified through him (cf. Rom 4:25).

So, just as the previous verses looked to Christ’s pre-eminent role in creations the hymn now focuses on his primacy in a new creation—the rebirth of mankind, and all creation in its train, in the supernatural order of grace and glory. Christ rose from the dead to enable us also to walk in newness of life (cf. Rom 6:4). Therefore, in every way Jesus Christ is “pre-eminent.”

Continued on next post…

 

[Fidelis]

*[19] For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, *

1. The word “pleroma” translated here as “fullness”, has two meanings in Greek: one, an active meaning, describes something that “fills” or “completes”; for example, a ship’s full load can be referred to as its “pleroma”. The other meaning is passive, “that which is filled” or “that which is complete”, so that a ship can be said to be “pleroma” when it is fully loaded. In this passage St Paul is using the word in both senses: Christ is the fullness (passive sense) of the Godhead (cf. Col 2:9), because he is full of all the perfections of the divine essence; and he is the fullness (active sense), because he fills the Church and all creation.

St John Chrysostom suggests that “the word ‘fullness’ is to be taken to mean the divinity of Jesus Christ …]. This term has been chosen the better to show that the very essence of the godhead resides in Jesus Christ” (“Hom. on Col, ad loc.”).

Since Christ possesses the divine nature, he also possesses the fullness of the supernatural gifts, for himself and for all mankind. Hence St Thomas’ comment that pleroma “reveals the dignity of the head in so far as it has the fullness of all grace” (Commentary on Col, ad loc.). In this sense, Christ is the fullness of the Church, for as its head he vivifies his body with all kinds of unmerited gifts. Finally, the entire created universe can be termed the “fullness” (“pleroma”) of Christ, because everything that exists in heaven and on earth has been created and is maintained in existence by him (cf. vv. 16-17); they are ever-present to him and are ruled by him (cf. Is 6:3; Ps 139:8; Wis 1:7; etc.). Thus, the world, which was created good (cf. Gen 1:31) tends towards its fulfillment insofar as it clearly reflects the imprint God gave it at the start of creation.

[20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things.

20. Since Christ is pre-eminent over all creation, the Father chose to reconcile all things to himself through him. Sin had cut man off from God, rupturing the perfect order which originally reigned in the created world. By shedding his blood on the cross, Christ obtained peace for us; nothing in the universe falls outside the scope of his peace-giving influence. He who in the beginning created all things in heaven and on earth has reestablished peace throughout creation.

This reconciliation of all things, ushered in by Christ, is fostered by the Holy Spirit who enables the Church to continue the process of reconciliation. However, we will not attain the fullness of this reconciliation until we reach heaven, when the entire created universe, along with mankind, will be perfectly renewed in Christ (cf. “Lumen Gentium”, 48).

"The history of salvation–the salvation of the whole of humanity, as well as of every human being of whatever period–is the wonderful history of a reconciliation; the reconciliation whereby God, as Father, in the Blood and the Cross of his Son made man, reconciles the world to himself and thus brings into being a new family of those who have been reconciled.

"Reconciliation becomes necessary because there has been the break of sin from which derive all the other forms of break within man and about him. Reconciliation therefore, in order to be complete, necessarily requires liberation from sin, which is to be rejected in its deepest roots. Thus a close internal link unites “conversion” and “reconciliation”. It is impossible to split these two realities or to speak of one and say nothing of the other (John Paul II, “Reconciliatio Et Paenitentia”, 13).

Jesus Christ also counts on the cooperation of every individual Christian to apply his work of redemption and peace to all creation. The founder of Opus Dei says, in this connection: “We must love the world and work and all human things. For the world is good. Adam’s sin destroyed the divine balance of creation; but God the Father sent his only Son to reestablish peace, so that we his children by adoption, might free creation from disorder and reconcile all things to God” (“Christ Is Passing By”, 112).

 

[Fidelis]

Here is the 1859 Haydock Commentary on the 2nd Reading, with DRV text:

12 Giving thanks to God, the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins:
**
Ver. 14.** It is through the blood of Christ, and not by the law of Moses, that we are freed from the power of death. If the law could have saved us, the coming of Christ would have been useless. See then, he says, if it be proper to engage under a law which is so inefficacious. (Calmet) — From this verse and from ver. 12, et alibi passim, we are taught that we are not only by imputation made partakers of Christ’s benefits, but are by his grace made worthy thereof, and deserve our salvation condignly, ex condigno. (Bristow)

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature:

Ver. 15. The first born of every creature. St. Chrysostom takes notice against the Arians, that the apostle calls Christ the first-begotten, or first-born, not the first created, because he was not created at all. And the sense is, that he was before all creatures, proceeding from all eternity from the Father; though some expound the words of Christ as man, and that he was greater in dignity. See Romans viii. 29. (Witham)
*
16 For in him were all things created in heaven, and on earth, visible, and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and in him:
17 And he is before all, and by him all things consist.

Ver. 16. Thrones, &c. are commonly understood to refer to the celestial hierarchy of Angels, though as to their particular rank, &c. nothing certain is known. We may here observe, that the Holy Spirit proportions itself and speaks according to our ideas of a temporal kingdom, in which one authority is subject to another. In the same manner the Angels seem subordinate to one another. (St. Dionysius in Calmet) — All things were created by him, and in him, and *consist *in him. If all things that are were made by him, he himself was not made. And his divine power is also signified, when it is said all things consist or are preserved by him. (Witham)

18 And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead: that in all things he may hold the primacy.
**
Ver. 18.* He is the head of the body, the church. He now speaks of what applies to Christ as man. — The first-born from the dead; i.e. the first that rose to an immortal life. (Witham)

19 Because in him, it was pleasing that all fullness should dwell:

Ver. 19.* In him it was pleasing, that all fulness should dwell.* The greatest plenitude of graces was conferred on him as man, and from him, as he was our head, derived to all the members of his Church. The Protestant translation, followed by Mr. N. by way of explanation adds, it hath pleased the Father; but, as Dr. Wells observes in his paraphrase, there is no reason to restrain it to the Father, seeing the work of the incarnation, and the blessings by it conferred on all mankind, are equally the work of the blessed Trinity, though the Second Person only was joined to our nature. (Witham)

20 And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven.
**
Ver. 20. ***To reconcile all things unto himself,…through the blood of his cross, *(i.e. which Christ shed on the cross) both as to the things on earth, and…in heaven: not that Christ died for the Angels, but, says St. Chrysostom, the Angels were in a manner at war with men, with sinners, as they stood for the cause and glory of God; but Christ put an end to this enmity, by restoring men to his favour. (Witham) — In heaven. Not by pardoning the wicked angels did Christ reconcile the things in heaven, but by reconciling good Angels to man, who were enemies to him before the birth of Christ. (St. Augustine)

 

[Fidelis]

Other thoughts and comments on the 2nd Reading:

12 giving thanks to the Father: The Colossians have reason to be grateful for the great gift of the Christian faith which they have received. They must show their gratitude to God the Father who (with the Son and Holy Spirit) planned this happy fate for them before creation began.

**who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light: **Share in the inheritance of heaven (Romans 8:17). Inheritance is a family privilege, not a benefit for servants and slaves. What God had planned for the Colossians was the gift of the Christian faith, “to share the inheritance of the holy ones (or, “saints”).” The Christians are often called the saints in the Epistles.

The Christian faith was a brilliant light which illumined the dark world of paganism.

**13 He delivered us from the power of darkness: **The condition of enslavement to the devil of a person in the state of sin. God rescued Christians from the power of darkness in which the pagan world was immersed, that is, from the darkness of ignorance about God and about man’s relationship with him.

**and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son: **The initiative is with God the Father—He rescued us, brought us from slavery to sin. Like the Israel of old, we have been delivered from captivity. Through the sacrament of baptism the pagans who accepted the Christian teaching were made citizens of Christ’s kingdom on earth—his Church—and heirs of Christ’s eternal kingdom, heaven. It was God the Father who gave all Christians the supernatural privilege of citizenship of his beloved Son’s temporal kingdom, and also made them heirs, with a claim on his heavenly kingdom.

14 in whom we have redemption: Since Christ has brought true freedom, the Colossians have no need to propitiate (appease) any of the “higher powers.”

the forgiveness of sins: This is the effect of baptismal union with Christ. Through the sufferings of Christ, our representative, we have been liberated from the bondage of sin, and made God’s new Chosen People. The liberation of Israel from the bondage of Egyptian slavery, and their election as the Chosen People of the Old Testament, was a type of Christ’s salvific work for all men (see Ex. 15: 13; Dt. 7: 8; Eph. 1:7).

The remainder of this reading has the character of a primitive Christian hymn, possibly having its origin in the liturgy. The Greek is said by scholars to have an Aramaic “signature”—meaning it probably was originally composed in the language of the first Jewish Christians, translated into Greek, and was in use before St. Paul incorporated it into his letter to the Colossians.

**15 He is the image of the invisible God: **Genesis 1:26 tells us that man was created in the image of God. However, only the second person of the Blessed Trinity, the Son, the New Adam, is the perfect image and likeness of the Father—all others bear the stain of sin.

In truly incomparable theological language the following five verses express the Christo-centric doctrine of our faith. All creation is from Christ, in Christ and for Christ. He is true God from true God and true man at the same time. Because of his two natures in one Person he is the perfect mediator and the only mediator, not only between God and men, but between God and all created beings in heaven and on earth. He is the head of his Church, his kingdom on earth. He is the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead and the guarantee for all men that they too will not end in the grave. He has reconciled not only man but all of creation with God through his perfect obedience as man. This obedience, in the circumstances, demanded his death on the cross. With his own blood he signed and sealed the New Covenant made with the new Chosen people.

Continued on the next post…

 

[Fidelis]

**the firstborn of all creation: **The title of ‘first-born’ signified more than the accident of one’s birth-order. It was a privileged position with certain rights and responsibilities. Jesus’ position of first-born was one of supremacy, authority and power over all creation.

**16 For in him were created: ** Christ is the locality, the center of unity and harmony, in which the universe was created.

**all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers: **Even the invisible angelic beings who were thought to control the world where created through the Wisdom of God (see Wisdom 7:22-26).

all things were created through him and for him: The universe finds its goal and perfection in Christ.

“’All things were made through him and without Him was made not a thing’ (John 1:3). From this ‘all’ nothing is exempt. Now, it is the Father who made all things through Him, whether visible or invisible, whether sensible or intelligible, whether temporal for the sake of some dispensation or eternal. These He did not make through angels or some powers that were separated from His thought.” [Saint Irenaeus (between A.D. 180-199), *Against Heresies

22,1]

**17 He is before all things: **This can be seen in the sense of prior existence, or the sense of importance, or both.

**and in him all things hold together: **A reference to Wisdom as the cohesive power of the universe (see Wisdom 1:7)

**18 He is the head of the body, the church: *For Paul, “head” signifies the principles of authority and vitality. Here, vitality means the source of life and growth, which is the Greek concept of the relation of the head to the human body. Not only is Christ the head of the cosmic body, He is the head of the Church.
*
“Christ is the head of the Church, if things heavenly and earthly live together in Him, such that if the whole body is ever deprived of its head, that is, separated from its Creator, there would be an insane and empty chaos.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), *Commentary on the Letter to the Colossians]
**
He is the beginning: **The Church, Christ’s Body is described as a new beginning, a new creation (Galatians 6:15. 2 Corinthians 5:17).
**
the firstborn from the dead: **Christ’s own resurrection is the cause of the resurrection of those who follow Him.

**that in all things he himself might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell: **The concept of fullness is found in the Old Testament (Isaiah 6:3). The fullness of God—His presence, divinity, and wisdom—is in Christ who shares this with the Church, which in turn affects all humanity. The emphasis here is not on God’s immanence—although this passage is one of the clearest statements of Christ’s divinity in the New Testament—but on the cosmic effect of God’s power working in Christ and in the Church.

**20 and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross (through him), whether those on earth or those in heaven: **All creation must be restored to God (Romans 8:19-23). This implies a state of alienation: in man by reason of sin, and in all creation by the loss of unity and harmony through sin. The prevalent Jewish belief was that the world had fallen into the captivity of ruling world powers through man’s sin. Christ overcame these angelic powers by taking away their control over believers.

 

[Fidelis]

The 2nd Reading is cited in numerous sections of the Catechism of the Catholic Church-- too many to list here.

You can see them by going here.

Here are some questions for personal reflection and application:

1. 1:13. From what and to what does Christ “transfer us”? What are the effects of justification in Christ?

1. 1:15–20. What does the hymn quoted in these verses extol? What does the hymn say Christ’s redeeming work transforms? What Old Testament personification does Christ’s preexistence and role as Creator recall?

1. 1:15. Although Adam was created in God’s image, what does it mean to say that Christ is the image of God? If Adam was the first to bear the image of God, what happened because of his rebellion against God? What is the role of Christ, then? To what does the term “first-born” refer in this verse? What is Paul’s point in using the term?

1. **1:9–10. **Read Is 11:2. What is the relationship between wisdom and understanding (two spiritual gifts you received at Confirmation)? How can you use them to grow in the knowledge of God and of his will?