Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
From: Acts 10:31-43
Peter's Address
---------------
[34] And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, [35] but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. [36] You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), [37] the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: [38] how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. [39] And we are witnesses to all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree; [40] but God raised Him on the third day and made Him manifest; [41] not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. [42] And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that He is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. [43] To Him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name."
***********************************************************************
Commentary:
34-43. Peter's short address is his first to non-Jews. It begins with the central idea that God is impartial: he wants all men to be saved through the proclamation of the Gospel (vv. 34-36). This is followed by a summary of Jesus' public life (vv. 37-41) and, finally, the statement (the first time it appears in Acts) that Jesus Christ has been made Judge of the living and the dead (v. 42). As in all Christian preaching to Gentiles, proofs from Scripture take a secondary place (v. 43).
34. This verse refers to 1 Samuel 16:7, where the Lord, in connection with the anointing of David as king of Israel, tells the prophet, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." When God calls and offers salvation to his elect, he does not judge as men do. With him distinctions regarding social class, race, sex or education do not count.
Here St Peter proclaims that the Old Testament prophecies about the Jews and the Gentiles forming one single nation (Is 2:2-4; Joel 2:28; Amos 9:12; Mich 4:1 ) and Jesus' words calling everyone to enter his Kingdom (cf. Mt 8:11; Mk 16:15-16; Jn 10:16) should be interpreted literally.
40. Peter's summary of the Gospel of Jesus (verses 37-41) reaches its climax with his statement that "God raised Him on the third day." This had become the usual way of referring to our Lord's resurrection (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:4); see note on Acts 4:10.
42. This verse refers to Christ's role as Judge: He has been made supreme Judge over all mankind and will deliver His judgment at His second coming (Parousia). "The Sacred Scriptures inform us that there are two comings of the Son of God: the one when He assumed human flesh for our salvation in the womb of a virgin; the other when He shall come at the end of the world to judge all mankind" ("St. Pius V Catechism", I, 8, 2).
Christ's coming as Judge means that men will appear before Him twice, to render an account of their lives--of their thoughts, words, deeds and omissions. The first judgment will take place "when each of us departs this life; for then He is instantly placed before the judgment-seat of God, where all that he has ever done or spoken or thought during his life shall be subjected to the most rigid scrutiny. This is called the Particular Judgment. The second occurs when on the same day and in the same place all men shall stand together before the tribunal of their Judge [...], and this is called the General Judgment" ("Ibid.", I, 8, 3).
Seek the Things That Are Above
------------------------------
[1] If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Avoid Sin
---------
[2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. [3] For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
***********************************************************************
Commentary:
1-4. The more ethical and exhortatory part of the letter begins at this point. It is a practical application of the teaching given in the earlier chapters, designed to suit the circumstances that have arisen in the Colossian church.
By His death and resurrection the Son of God frees us from the power of Satan and of death. "By Baptism men are grafted into the paschal mystery of Christ; they die with him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him" (Vatican II, "Sacrosanctum Concilium", 6). In other words, Christians have been raised to a new kind of life, a supernatural life, whereby they share, even while on earth, in the glorious life of the risen Jesus. This life is at present spiritual and hidden, but when our Lord comes again in glory, it will become manifest and glorious.
Two practical consequences flow from this teaching--the need to seek the "things that are above", that is, the things of God; and the need to pass unnoticed in one's everyday work and ordinary life, yet to do everything with a supernatural purpose in mind.
As regards the first of these the Second Vatican Council has said: "In their pilgrimage to the Heavenly city Christians are to seek and relish the things that are above (cf. Colossians 3:1-2): this involves not a lesser, but a greater commitment to working with all men to build a world that is more human" ("Gaudium Et Spes", 57). Work, family relationships, social involvements--every aspect of human affairs-- should be approached in a spirit of faith and done perfectly, out of love: "The true Christian, who acts according to this faith", Monsignor Escriva comments, "always has his sights set on God. His outlook is supernatural. He works in this world of ours, which he loves passionately; he is involved in all its challenges, but all the while his eyes are fixed on Heaven" ("Friends of God", 206).
Ordinary life, everyday interests, the desire to be better and to serve others without seeking public recognition of one's merits--all this makes for holiness if done for love of God. A simple life "hid with Christ in God" (verse 3) is so important that Jesus Himself chose to spend the greater part of His life on earth living like an ordinary person: He was the son of a tradesman. "As we meditate on these truths, we come to understand better the logic of God. We come to realize that the supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing great undertakings suggested to us by our over-active imagination. Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God's will, in welcoming generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 172).
This means that those who try to seek holiness by imitating Jesus in His hidden life will be people full of hope; they will be optimistic and happy people; and after their death they will share in the glory of the Lord: they will hear Jesus' praise, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Master" (Matthew 25:21).
On the value of the hidden life, see the note on Luke 2:51.
And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
51. The Gospel sums up Jesus' life in Nazareth in just three words: "erat subditus illis", he was obedient to them. "Jesus obeys, and he obeys Joseph and Mary. God has come to the world to obey, and to obey creatures. Admittedly they were very perfect creatures--Holy Mary, our mother, greater than whom God alone; and that most chaste man Joseph. But they are only creatures, and yet Jesus, who is God, obeyed them. We have to love God so as to love his will and desire to respond to his calls. They come to us through the duties of our ordinary life—duties of state, profession, work, family, social life, our own and other people's difficulties, friendship, eagerness to do what is right and just" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 17).
Jesus lived like any other inhabitant of Nazareth, working at the same trade as St Joseph and earning his living by the sweat of his brow. "His hidden years are not without significance, nor were they simply a preparation for the years which were to come after--those of his public life. Since 1928 I have understood clearly that God wants our Lord's whole life to be an example for Christians. I saw this with special reference to his hidden life, the years he spent working side by side with ordinary men. Our Lord wants many people to ratify their vocation during years of quiet, unspectacular living. Obeying God's will always means leaving our selfishness behind, but there is no reason why it should entail cutting ourselves off from the normal life of ordinary people who share the same status, work and social position with us.
"I dream--and the dream has come true--of multitudes of God's children, sanctifying themselves as ordinary citizens, sharing the ambitions and endeavors of their colleagues and friends. I want to shout to them about this divine truth: If you are there in the middle of ordinary life, it doesn't mean Christ has forgotten about you or hasn't called you. He has invited you to stay among the activities and concerns of the world. He wants you to know that your human vocation, your profession, your talents, are not omitted from his divine plans. He has sanctified them and made them a most acceptable offering to his Father" (St J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By", 20).