Breaking the Word

22^nd Week in Ord. Time, Wednesday – 06^th September 2023 – Col 1,1-8;  Lk 4,38-44

Christened as Saints

In the first reading, Paul begins his letter to the faith community at Colossae. He recognizes their faith in the Lord Jesus as preached first by one of their own, Epaphras, a fellow servant-minister with Paul. The letter is addressed to “the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.” Paul frequently calls the members of the Christian communities as “saints or holy ones”. It is a term which includes the Old Testament idea of the people of God, but here also expresses a relationship with Christ. He highlights that they have been called by God to union with Christ and have experienced the spiritual benefits of this union. The awareness of this union helps them to be “faithful brothers and sisters in Christ”. And Paul mentions their spiritual union “in Christ” no less than 13 times in the course of the letter. The task implied in their calling is that they need to be united with Christ and dedicated to working together with the members of the community.

22^ndWeek in Ord. Time, Tuesday – 05^th September 2023 —  1 Thess 5,1-6.9-11; Lk 4,31-37

Inevitability of Parousia

In the first reading, Paul urges the Christians of Thessalonika to be alert and ready for the Lord’s coming because the time of Jesus’ return could be any time and no one knows when it will be. Paul says, as far as the Lord’s coming is concerned, there is no point in talking about “times and the seasons.” The phrase “Times and the Seasons” is like a cliché referring to the time of Parousia. Behind it is the idea that God is outside time but, at the same time, controls time and its divisions. Times (chronos) refers to its date and seasons (kairos) to God’s propitious moments for special redemptive acts. Paul says that this time is known as accurately as the moment of the arrival of a thief. The day of the Lord’s coming is sudden like a thief in the night. Paul also warns that it comes suddenly as labour pains on a pregnant woman and there will be no escape. Viewing these two figures give the picture of the day of the Lord as sudden and inevitable. Therefore, it is necessary for the believer to stay awake and be watchful.