Friday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
(Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 5:33-39)
Today’s first reading was composed as a hymn of glory to Christ. Its difficulty to comprehend may stem from
the fact that, like all songs, it was written as poetry. As such, it strives not just to explain but
also to edify by its rhythm and imagery.
The hymn was inserted by St. Paul, or perhaps one of his
associates, into the Letter to the Christian community in Colossae. The community was being challenged at the
time by strange teachings regarding heavenly powers and earthly practices. These teachings took away from the centrality
of Christ’s work both in creation and in redemption.
What the hymn proposes for the Colossians’ consideration is crucial
for our understanding of Christ as well.
Let’s try to state these proposals.
First, Christ resurrected from the dead is the perfect image of the
unseen God. Second, Christ existing from
all eternity was the source and end of all creation. Finally, as creation was falling apart
through sin, Christ has brought the pieces together by his death on the cross and
holds them together in the Church.
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