EXPERIENCING THE FULLNESS OF LIFE IN CHRIST
The theme for our meditation today is: Experiencing the Fullness of Life in Christ. There was an elementary school student who did not pass to the next grade and when his parents investigated, it turned out that he was absent often to school. He usually reached the school gate, doing as if he had entered the school grounds, but he turned around and went out to play. There was another elementary school student, when the teacher asked a question to the whole class: “Who among you here doesn't want to pass to the higher grade?”, he raised his hand. He said that if he passed to the next grade, he would continue to go higher and higher, even though he was so lazy to study.
These two elementary school boys did not experience such standard to be the real students as expected. They in fact were called school students, but they could not prove to be good students in their respective schools. This reality of the two boys can be used to describe the situation of many followers of Christ. They profess to follow Christ through baptism received but may be they only bear the Christian names and merely live as the passive Christians. They should be considered not experiencing the fullness of life in Christ.
This is in contrary to Saint Paul who in his letter to the Colossians, says in this way: "We remind everyone and teach them with all wisdom, and to lead them to perfection in Christ." Saint Paul refers this to the teaching of Jesus Christ, which in the Gospel of John chapter 10, verse 10, says: Jesus comes to the world that we may have life and have it in abundance.
Today's readings describe the fullness of life in Christ which requires us to: 1) experience any kind of suffering, according to the first reading, if we "fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body, which is the church, so that through this sacrifice, we may bring good to many people; 2) be diligent in the word of God, not merely the empty words but with the person of Jesus who is present and who gives new life to everyone; 3) have the fullness of glory that surpasses all things of high value in the world; 4) reveal what was a mystery in the past, yet has now been revealed to the people of God; 5) receive the grace of wisdom which comes abundantly from Christ; 6) have the power of Jesus Christ which is so useful in the renewal of our lives and overcoming the forces of evil, sickness and other obstacles, and; 7) have the certainty of knowledge of the mystery of God, namely Jesus Christ, the Son of God, so that we may come to every hidden treasure of wisdom and knowledge. These are all spiritual richness that we seek always in our lives as Christians.
Let's pray. In the name of the Father... O Jesus Christ, as You healed the man with his right hand withered, we ask that You also heal us each of us from our various sickness, and may we are able to fulfill our respective duties and responsibilities. Hail Mary full of grace... In the name of the Father...