jesus
Christ "is..." —Colossians 1:15
In a few short months, we will celebrate the Great Jubilee, the two-thousandth anniversary of Jesus' Incarnation. The most commonly used tabulation of years is dated from Jesus. He "is the Image," the Icon, "of the invisible God" (Col 1:15). He is both "the First-Born of all creatures" (Col 1:15) and "the First-Born of the dead" (Col 1:18). Everything was created in, through, and for Him (Col 1:16). "It is He Who is Head of the body, the Church" (Col 1:18).
Primacy is "His in everything. It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in Him and, by means of Him, to reconcile everything in His Person" (Col 1:18-20). Jesus is "the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End" (Rv 21:6). Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings (Rv 19:16). Jesus' name is the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). He is the only Way to the Father (Jn 14:6) and the One Who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:8). Jesus is God.
Therefore, love Him "with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind" (Lk 10:27). "Live no longer" for yourself "but for Him" (2 Cor 5:15; Gal 2:20). Be His slave (Col 3:24). Worship Him (Rv 5:13). Trust Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus, I confess with my lips that You are Lord, and I believe in my heart that You are risen from the dead (Rm 10:9).
Promise: "When the days come that the Groom is removed from their midst, they will surely fast in those days." —Lk 5:35
Praise: Pope St. Gregory referred to himself as "servant of the servants of God." This title is still used by popes today, fourteen centuries later. "Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all" (Mk 10:43-44).
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, February 22, 1999
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, February 24, 1999