Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
(Colossians 1:24-2:3; Luke 6:6-11)
To no one’s surprise God is the great mystery facing
humankind. (For lack of a better word,
we will say) He cannot be known with any definition by the human mind. He is infinite, that is beyond limits or, in
other words, undefinable. However, the Church
holds that God has revealed part of the mystery in Jesus Christ. Christ shows that God loves humans immensely
to the point of giving His own Son for their salvation.
Today’s first reading reveals another aspect of the mystery of
God. Paul, or perhaps one of the apostle’s
disciples, writes that members of Christ’s Body, the Church, may share in the
manifestation of God’s love. The writer
believes that he does when he wears himself out preaching and ministering.
We can do the same, and Christian spirituality is based on
this insight. Our prayers, sacrifices,
and acts of mercy have salvific implications.
God uses us to show His love for the world. When we offer a prayer to God rather than
complain of an inconvenience, we contribute to the salvation of humankind.
