Today’s Theme for Prayer – Jesus Unites Me to His Body
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
How Do I Grow in Ability to Share and Receive
If you make provision for the desires of the flesh (cf. Rom. 13:14) and bear a grudge against your neighbor on account of something transitory, you worship the creature instead of the Creator.
. St. Maximus the Confessor
Participating in God’s Restoration Through Grace
Col 1:9-20
For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.
Grace Prayed For
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, the source of all sanctifying grace. Help me to open my heart to this grace, that it may transform me and empower me to live a life worthy of my calling, participating in your plan to renew all creation.
Reflection
This passage from Colossians beautifully articulates the supremacy of Christ and the transformative power of his work. It reminds us that our salvation is not just about escaping this world, but about being part of God’s grand plan to renew all of creation. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world, to lose hope in the face of suffering and injustice. But Paul’s words offer a powerful antidote: Christ is at the center of it all. He is the image of the invisible God, the creator, the sustainer, and the reconciler of all things.
Think about the way sanctifying grace works within us. It’s not always visible, but it’s constantly at work, transforming us from the inside out. It’s the divine power that enables us to grow in faith, hope, and love. It’s the very lifeblood of our spiritual journey. Christ is the source of this sanctifying grace. He is the one who connects us to God and empowers us to live lives worthy of our calling. Just as a plant depends on sunlight and water for its nourishment, we depend on Christ and his grace for our spiritual growth and transformation.
Our baptism is a profound moment of encounter with this grace, a symbolic burial and resurrection with Christ. It’s a promise that we are now part of this renewal, called to participate in God’s work of reconciliation. But like any living thing, we need constant nourishment to thrive. We need the sanctifying grace of Christ to strengthen us, to give us the wisdom and understanding we need to live out our baptismal promises. This grace empowers us to bear fruit in every good work, to grow in the knowledge of God, and to endure with patience and joy. It reminds us that we are not alone in this journey. We are part of a larger story, a story of redemption and restoration, a story where God is making all things new.
Growing in Intimacy/Union with Jesus
This passage draws us closer to Jesus by revealing his central role in creation and redemption. It shows us that he is not just a historical figure, but the living Lord, the one through whom all things exist and are reconciled to God. By focusing on his supremacy and his love, and by opening ourselves to the sanctifying grace that flows from him, we deepen our relationship with him and experience the transformative power of his presence in our lives.
When Time Allows Reflect on the Posts in Library and Musings
Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post