Sunday, May 16, 2021

We Shall Become The Perfect Creation

 "Therefore, I, the prisoner of CHRIST, invite you, to live the vocation you have received.  Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.

Make every effort to keep, among you, the unity of spirit, through bonds of peace.  Let there be one body, and one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by GOD.  One LORD, one faith, one baptism; one GOD, the FATHER of all, who is above all, and works through all, and is in all.

But to each of us, divine grace is given, according to the measure of CHRIST's gift.  Therefore, it is said: When HE ascended to the heights, HE brought captives and gave HIS gifts to people.

HE ascended, what does it mean, but, that HE had also descended to the lower parts of the world?  HE, HIMSELF, who went down, then ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.  As for HIS gifts, to some, HE gave to be apostles; to others, prophets, or even evangelists; or pastors and teachers.  So, HE prepared those who belong to HIM, for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of CHRIST, until we are all united, in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of GOD.  Thus, we shall  become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity, and sharing the fullness of CHRIST." - Ephesians 4:1-13 

(Here, Paul returns to an important problem in communities where the style was still very free, we might say very charismatic, since the community counted on the unpredictable action of the Spirit through the charisms of different members.  It is necessary that all in their own vocation work for the building up of the one body.  Paul enthusiastically names all that we have in common through CHRIST and the action of the Spirit.  It is not merely a temple that is constructed [see 2:19-22]; it is the Body of CHRIST, of the Perfect Man, the mature one, in which CHRIST expresses HIS fulness.

JESUS of Nazareth lived humbly until HIS death only once, but having been made the Head of humanity through HIS resurrection, HE suffers everywhere; HE works in every field of human activity; gives HIS life in every possible way; HE gathers in HIMSELF every form of love, and lives the whole diversity of human existence in the person of HIS members.)

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