09/092023

If I try to put myself into the shoes of those who listened to St Paul and were drawn into believe in Christ's Good News I am struck by how those peoples' experience of living so closely resembled our own. Of course they didn't get up and put the kettle as I have just done.

 They couldn't turn on the radio or TV to get the latest news. Each one of them, however, would awake into their own reality and hope to get through the day in the "quiet desperation" common to those who have not received the Good News with true Faith. 

The Resurrection changed everything and those to whom St Paul was writing although they were living in "interesting times" had accepted that mankind would only ever be misled by "Caesar" and that they, just as we are, were living in a worldly society which was the result of Mankind's refusal to live aware that we have only one true "Emperor" whose kingdom is the Eternal Empire of Heaven.

St Paul warns those Citizens of Colossae in the Roman Province of Asia that they must not drift away back into that sea of turmoil that was the Empire of Nero, who would himself condemn Paul to death, ruled by the unrestricted will of man. They and we are in the world but not of it now that we both have been baptized.

We are even more mislead by the leaders of our Society than they were. Our Age has proclaimed  to have no need of God. We are told complete untruths and top ignore God's Will. It is easy for anyone to  become the overburdened camel. The modern mob can still be provided with enhanced "bread and circuses". Man can create intelligences and control life itself. The very very rich and stupid can have their carcasses frozen with the intention of some future revivification.

The Colossians were aware of all the vagaries of being alive in the first century but just as we have, they had heard the Good News and can live in hope of a better life to come. 

Dear Lord let those citizens of Rome whose faith has brought them into the Glory of your Now continue to be lead by your Apostles, whom some of them met, and by Mary who too lived through the ravages  that was Pax Romana of the 1st Century, in prayer for your grace to bring repentance into the hearts of sinners on Earth and Mercy to the Holy Souls in Purgatory.