Brothers and sisters:
If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,
and the greed that is idolatry.
Because of these the wrath of God is coming upon the disobedient.
By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
But now you must put them all away:
anger, fury, malice, slander,
and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another,
since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self,
which is being renewed, for knowledge,
in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew,
circumcision and uncircumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, slave, free;
but Christ is all and in all. Col 3:1-11
St. Paul teaches us that if we are baptized and set apart by God for a special mission (anointed), then we need to fix our eyes on the things above and put to death the parts of our fallen human nature that keep us from loving God fully. Christ is in you, sit in silence and listen to Him. Then see Him in others especially the poorest of the poor.
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.” Lk 6:20-26
Jesus teaches us something that is very difficult to accept and live. He teaches us to deny ourselves or die to self. He teaches us that this will make us feel empty or hungry and cause us to weep or mourn. Then, He hits us with the possibility that we may be persecuted and made fun of. This does not sound like a life of joy, but it is! Jesus says, “Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.” Are you brave enough for the task, this is the life of one who wants to enter heaven. Ask God for His grace, be ready to fight, and never ever give up! Become a saint!
Christian YOLO
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