Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 438

In him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ.
You were buried with him in baptism....




In his Letter to the Colossians, Saint Paul gently and persuasively reminds the congregation "in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, and you share in this fullness in him...." 

There is no need to explore other strange religions to supplement our religion or your faith in Jesus. The "principalities and powers" of heaven (or wherever they might dwell) have no authority over the disciples of Jesus. 

Most Christians today, despite the best efforts of the missionaries, retain some fidelity to the old religions. There are leprechauns in Ireland and evil eyes in Italy. Americans rely on Luck (the Norse god Loki?) and pay their homage in casinos. No sooner had secularism swept across the western world, boldly affirming there is no god, than New Age religions sprang up to fill the vacuum with false gods. 

I find it helpful to remember the warnings of Exodus:

Exodus 20.5:  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 

Exodus 34.14: …for you shall worship no other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Jealousy can indicate serious mental illness; occasionally it sabotages otherwise healthy relationships. But what other name can we give to that possessiveness one should feel toward spouse and children? One given responsibility for a child or student watches closely what is her own, especially if they are "flesh and blood." The entitlements, privileges and responsibilities that come with certain relationships are not to be shared. They cannot be "open" to third parties. Our nature abhors it. 

When we hear "I the Lord your God am a jealous God." and "You shall worship no other god!" and "I will be your God and you shall be my people" we should feel God's protection wrap us like a mantle. God's love is a safe place for us. 

Prepared for the MSF 2013 Picnic

Sometimes Christians and Catholics hesitate to speak of that privilege. People we'll say we're being arrogant. People say what they want to say, regardless. We do better to plunge deeply into that privileged relationship, learning the requisite humility from the One who was born in poverty, died in ignominy and buried in a borrowed tomb. He is our peace. He is our dearest God.