" We Walk in Christ"

Today's Mass Readings

In today’s first reading from St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to follow Christ. We must always keep in mind that Christ is our foundation. St. Paul makes an important link, he explains how baptism replaces circumcision. In the Old Testament, circumcision was how when entered into a covenant relationship with God (in the case of men----women entered into such a relationship through their family). Baptism is the New Testament form of circumcision, and it is for both men and women. Circumcision merely cut away flesh as a symbol, whereas baptism actually effects what it symbolizes. Baptism buries us with Christ and raises us with Christ. For those who are baptized in Christ, Jesus is the undeniable foundation. St. Paul exhorts the baptized to reject the false philosophies of the time. St. Paul’s time period was not the only time period when seductive philosophies captivated people. Even more so today, such philosophies that are opposed to Christ threaten us. I’m sure each of us can think of specific examples. Such philosophies abound in consumerist societies especially. We must be careful to keep our eyes on Christ, to “walk in Him.” Only by walking in Christ, and by being firmly rooted in Christ, can we find what we’re looking for.

Our baptism was not a one-time event. It must be lived out in the daily living of our faith. It means rejecting things contrary to our faith in Christ and embracing things that lead us closer to him. Today, let us be conscious of living our baptismal promise.