The mindset of people defines their character!

September 10, 2025 Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 6:20-26

The word protocol signifies a formal conduct that respects the dignity and rank of each person. To break protocol is to disregard not only the individual but also the one they represent. St. Paul, in his Letter to the Colossians, calls Christians to uphold the highest spiritual protocol, living as those who have been raised with Christ. Such a life seeks the “things that are above,” reflecting values and conduct worthy of their new identity. Paul exhorts believers to “put off” the old self, marked by immorality, greed, anger, malice, slander, and abusive speech, and to “put on” the new self in Christ. This transformation is not merely external but a profound renewal of the heart and mind, breaking down every human-made barrier of division. True Christian living is a deliberate choice for the eternal over the fleeting, the heavenly over the earthly.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 6:20–26), Jesus delivers what is often called the “Sermon on the Plain,” echoing yet distinct from Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Luke’s version presents a striking contrast: four blessings and four woes. The poor are declared blessed, for they will inherit the Kingdom; the hungry will be satisfied; the sorrowful will rejoice; and the persecuted will leap for joy, their reward is great in heaven. Conversely, the rich, the satiated, the laughing, and the socially acclaimed are warned, they have already received their consolation on earth, leaving nothing for eternity.
This teaching radically overturns worldly standards. What society deems as success, wealth, comfort, popularity, Jesus challenges, urging His followers to live for what truly lasts. When we choose Christ’s way, we embrace a life that may seem costly now but leads to everlasting joy.

Call to Action: Choose what lasts forever, live as one raised with Christ.