Take our Faith in Jesus Christ seriously

 

We live in Him by finding joy in observing His commandments.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Tuesday of 23rd Week in Ordinary, Time 1, September 12th, 2023
Texts: Colossians 2:6-15; Psalm 145:1-2,8-11; Luke 6:12-19 

St. Paul appeals to us today to take our faith in Jesus Christ seriously. He puts it thus: “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” We live in Him by finding joy in observing His commandments; we are rooted and built up in Him by the depth of our understanding and vastness of our knowledge of Him. Hence, we are to seek to know Him more and more and deepen our understanding of Him daily.  

Jesus Christ also shows today that we need prayer to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him. We read, “It happened that in these days Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God.” After the prayer Jesus chose His twelve apostles to establish His mission. 

St. Paul instructs us that our life in Christ should be according to what we are taught. Church is our teacher that teaches us the way of God. Jesus says, “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Luke 10:16). We need the teaching of the Church to guide us as we seek knowledge and understanding in Christ. Standing with the teaching of the Church, we are saved from self-delusion, self-interest and enticement.  

When we live in Him and rooted and built up in Him, we will be established in the faith. We are to be established in the faith to survive the waves and current of worldly knowledge. Hence, St. Paul says, “See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.”  

St. Paul also speaks of why we should live in Christ, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith. He puts it thus: “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” We find in Christ the fullness of God’s presence and fullness of life. We find in Him the fullness of divine consolation and help.  

We are also to live in Christ because it is in Him we live no longer by the flesh but by the Spirit. St. Paul puts it thus: “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ”. The life of the Spirit is the fruit of God’s mercy. We read, “And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having cancelled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands”. 

Prayer 

God our Father, we thank You for giving Jesus to us, help us to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith; keep us in Your love. Amen   

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke