Daily Catholic Lectio. Wed, 10 September ’25. New Life & Vision

Daily Catholic Lectio

Wed, 10 September ‘25

Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time, Wednesday

Colossians 3:1-11. Luke 6:20-26

A New Life, A New Vision

1. Seek the Things That Are Above

Scripture: Paul exhorts: “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:1–2).

Church’s Teaching: The Catechism (CCC 1002) reminds us that through Baptism, we already share in Christ’s resurrection and are called to live a new life even now.

Reflection: Our gaze often remains fixed on earthly anxieties—success, wealth, recognition—but Paul reminds us that our true life is hidden with Christ in God (v. 3).

Pastoral Application: To “seek above” does not mean neglecting our duties on earth, but seeing them in the light of eternity. Am I investing only in what fades, or in what lasts forever?

2. Putting Off the Old Self

Scripture: Paul urges believers to “put to death whatever in you is earthly”—anger, greed, lies, impurity (vv. 5–9)—and to “clothe yourselves with the new self” (v. 10).

Church’s Teaching: The Catechism (CCC 1426) states that conversion is an ongoing task; Baptism begins a journey of constantly “putting off the old man” and being renewed.

Reflection: Renewal is not cosmetic—it is radical. The Christian life is not just improvement but transformation.

Pastoral Application: Each day, we are invited to remove “old garments” of sin and wear the new garment of Christ. What old habits or attitudes still cling to me?

3. The Beatitudes: Blessed or Cursed?

Scripture: In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus blesses the poor, hungry, sorrowful, and hated (Lk 6:20–22), but pronounces woes on the rich, full, laughing, and admired (vv. 24–26).

Church’s Teaching: Pope Francis in Gaudete et Exsultate (no. 67) calls the Beatitudes “the Christian’s identity card.” They overturn worldly measures of success.

Reflection: The world sees blessing in wealth, comfort, laughter, and applause; Jesus reveals blessing in dependence on God, hunger for justice, tears of compassion, and fidelity amid rejection.

Pastoral Application: Where do I seek happiness—in temporary gains or in God’s eternal promise? The Beatitudes invite us to live with a new vision, even when it contradicts the world.

Conclusion

Paul reminds us that to be Christian is to live a new life, seeking what is above and putting off the old self. Jesus, in the Beatitudes, shows us what this new life looks like: a radical reversal of values, where dependence on God is true wealth, and fidelity to Him is true joy. The choice is ours: to live by the old self of the world, or to put on the new self of Christ.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy