Colossians 3:12-17
Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
-----
This was part of the second reading last Sunday. These verses are referred to directly 7 separate times in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I'm thinking that means we need to pay attention to them.
They describe what a person who lives "life in the spirit" is like. He is compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Over all, he is loving, because he understands that love is "the bond of perfection" that ties all other virtues together. He lets the peace of Christ control his heart. The word of Christ dwells in him richly.
This is the target for all of us. It is so easy for us to say it's impossible, to say that we're sinners and always will be, and use that thought to conclude that we don't need to try to live the life that Paul describes. That's dangerous thinking, because God clearly expects us to try and get there.
If we persevere in this effort, and trust in him, he will help us when we fall short. Eventually we will be transformed.
