6 September 2021

For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 1:24-2:3, NRSV

In today’s reading, Paul refers repeatedly to the suffering he has had to undergo in order to deliver God’s message. Suffering is not something many welcome and yet Paul says that he is happy to suffer. Although he was writing this letter from prison, Paul could see that his ministry was bringing benefits to others and that the church was growing and spreading across the Gentile world. For Paul, the physical and psychological tribulations that he had to endure helped him to identify more closely with the Christ’s suffering. Paul’s joy in suffering likely came from his belief that his tribulations were shared by Christ – that his suffering did not belong to him alone.

• • Why do you think that Paul accepted and welcomed the suffering that was inflicted on him?
  • Does suffering have a place in the ministry of the Church today?

Pray for those you know who are suffering in any way.