WEDNESDAY, TWENTY THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Col 3: 1- 11 Ps 145: 2-3, 10-13 Lk 6: 20-26
NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
In baptism, we were buried with Christ and raised with Him through the power of His resurrection (Col 2:12). In this sacrament, our sins were forgiven, and we became sharers in His victory on the cross—a marvellous gift for every Christian. But what does it mean to live out this new life?
In today’s first reading, St. Paul urges the Colossians to “seek the things that are above,” for God has granted us life in Christ through the forgiveness of our sins. He calls us to “put to death” what is earthly in us—those inordinate passions and desires that arouse the wrath of God (cf. Eph 4:20). To follow Christ is to put on the “new self,” striving to walk in love of God and neighbour.
This new life in Christ is marked by compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. The “old self,” ruled by selfishness and enslaved by harmful passions, destroys both ourselves and those around us. The “new self,” by contrast, is characterised by a communal spirit and constant concern for others. Gratitude then becomes our natural response—a heart that sings the praises of the Creator, echoing today’s psalm. Truly, Christians have been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph 1:3–14), and ceaseless praise is the fitting response.
The Beatitudes in Luke’s Gospel reveal the very mind of Christ. They free us from the burden of our sinful nature and open before us the path to true happiness and peace, the way Jesus Himself walked on earth. To live by these Beatitudes is to allow Christ’s own attitudes to shape our choices and relationships.
As pilgrims on earth, we live with our gaze fixed on heaven. Since Christ has passed beyond this world, we too must learn to live for what endures. The good we do may never be seen, recognised, or praised, but it is known to God, “who searches the heart” and rewards in His own time. Let us, then, persevere in living as a people raised with Christ, clothing ourselves each day with the virtues of the new self and walking in grateful praise until we share fully in His glory.
Response: How good is the Lord to all.
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