Col 1, 21-23
You were once estranged and of hostile intent through your evil behaviour; now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body, to bring you before himself holy, faultless and irreproachable-
as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the gospel, which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant.
God did everything in Jesus to reconcile humanity with Himself! This is the enduring message entrusted to the Church throughout time and which is to reach the people! Whateve rstate man may be, he is not hopeless!
God has mercy on the worst sinner because he loves him and wants to have him with him! It is only for man to accept the Lord’s offer, as is mentioned in today’s text. God will work that all what we had against God in us, all evil works will burn in a fire of repentance that penetrates deep our hearts and enlivens us with the desire to serve God .
How can God lean even more towards man!
Again and again our hearts should be lifted by Him in the contemplation of God’s love, so that it may burn with gratitude! Thus the Lord can make the sins we have committed into a great devotion to him. This fire will then also encourage to witness the overwhelming love of God, so that also other people may turn away from the wrong ways and live in God’s grace!
But it is necessary that we hold fast to our faith, as the Apostle reminds us! For this faith is attacked from within and outside! It is not as a high prelate of the Church said recently that we do not have to defend Christian values because they speak for themselves! The opposite is true: faith must be defended, as must be the values that arise from faith! If it were true what this prelate said, then the world must have converted long ago!
Especially when we live in an anti-faith environment that wants to offer us a fulfillment of life without God, when public opinion spreads things that are contrary to faith, when we are inwardly in doubt, when feelings against faith and spiritual practice arise, then we should hold fast on our faith, and not be dissuaded from the hope of the Gospel!
For this we must hold fast to prayer, to witness the Gospel in good works, in short: never neglect the practice of our spiritual life, even if it may not please us emotionally at times! It is easy for our feelings to contradict our faith because they are most influenceable.
Faith is a supernatural virtue, a gift from God, which we embrace with our will! If our emotions are disturbed, then our direction of will must be clear united with our faith, otherwise we are like a leaf in the wind. If our minds are tempted to be confused, we fight back in prayer and keep the will directed at the faith. I believe and I want to believe!
It is also important that we hold fast to the magisterium as the Church teaches us. The authentic magisterias of the Church is a great help for us, which God gives throughout this time, so that we do not go astray.
The gospel entrusted to Paul is the same as taught today. Let us hold fast to it – not only for us – but also for the testimony in this world, which is so confused and needs a clear testimony of word and being!