Having turned our attention to the Christological Hymn in all its grandeur, which illuminates the Lord’s person in an incomparable way, let us now consider its final sacred words: “the Head of the Church.”
“He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. For in him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col 1:18-20)
Once again, it becomes clear that Jesus was sent to reconcile all things to the Father. This is the path God has chosen. When we proclaim this as the Church, we are not pointing to ourselves as Christians as if we are better than everyone else; we are simply stating what God Himself has revealed to us. It would be false humility to withhold the Lord’s message just to avoid giving that impression.
It is important to understand this anew because it often seems, especially within Church leadership, that people no longer wish to truly profess the Church’s mission. However, if a mission exists—and the risen Lord gave this very mission to His disciples—then those entrusted with it take a back seat to the One who sent them. Those entrusted with the mission may be called upon to consider wisely when, how, and at what time the right thing is said. However, this can never mean diminishing the mission in any way.
The question of peace on earth is, of course, of great importance. If we closely follow the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John, where He speaks of His peace, which the world cannot give (Jn 14:27), then we will understand the prerequisites for true peace. They are stated here: “…whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Reconciliation takes place through the Lord’s sacrifice. People only find true peace when they accept this gift from God, turn to Him, and submit to His guidance.
It would be disastrous if the Church were to cease fulfilling the mission entrusted to her. Human agreements break down easily, and even interfaith cooperation for peace is not the solution. Every proclamation and ministry of peace coming from God must include the understanding that only through reconciliation with God in Christ can that peace arise which is founded on love and truth.
When we ask ourselves what kind of peace Jesus established in heaven through His sacrifice, the following explanation by Cornelius a Lapide may be helpful:
“St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine (Enchiridion), Theodoret, and many who followed them held the view that the good angels are affected only by the restoration of peace, not by reconciliation. Like their Master, they were justly angered by sinful humanity. Yet, when God reconciled Himself with humankind, He restored peace between the angelic hosts and the human world.”
Consequently, Saint Paul gives concrete expression to his words and addresses the congregation directly:
“And you, who once were estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the divine office which was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now made manifest to his saints.” (Col 1:21-26)
Armed with knowledge of all that had been given to the church in Colossae, it was time for them to earnestly set out on their journey, grateful that the Lord had freed them from estrangement, hostility, and evil deeds. The memory of their former evil deeds was meant to help them understand with gratitude that they had been saved and to ensure that they never forgot it. Salvation did not come through their own merits, but through the work of Christ. The memory of past deeds may fade if believers now cooperate with God’s grace. However, they need perseverance. Therefore, it is essential to defend the faith against all attacks and deepen it ever more.
The Apostle’s task was to proclaim the fullness of the faith to them. For this mission, he also offered up his sufferings and thus completed what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ. We will take up this final statement tomorrow and explore it in greater depth.
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Meditation on the reading of the day: