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Thursday, October 17, 1996

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St. Ignatius of Antioch


Ephesians 1:3-10
Psalm 98
Luke 11:47-54

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head up

"God has given us the wisdom to understand fully the mystery, the plan He was pleased to decree in Christ, to be carried out in the fullness of time: namely, to bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship." —Ephesians 1:9-10

God's plan is to "bring all things in the heavens and on earth into one under Christ's headship." Jesus promised: "And I — once I am lifted up from earth — will draw all men to Myself" (Jn 12:32). We must let ourselves be drawn to Jesus and then be in right relationship to Him, the Head of His body. Then we will fulfill God's plan. Our job is to work so that everyone will be under Christ, the Head, in everything. Thus, Jesus should be recognized as the Head of state as well as the Head of the Church. Jesus should head up our businesses, schools, hospitals, ministries, marriages, families, and homes. We should recognize Jesus as the Head of all boards, committees, councils, and meetings.

When we let Jesus head us up, we then begin to be in proper relationship not only with Him but also with each other. We and those around us fall into place. Then we are happy and content because we are who we were created to be. We are not dislocated but healed (see Heb 12:13). We no longer feel like misfits; we finally are at home. For years, we have tried to use our own heads to get our lives together, only to become even more fragmented and scattered. Let us now let Jesus head up our lives so that we can become one with Him and His body in an amazing way.

Prayer:  Jesus, I choose You for my Head.

Promise:  "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God." —Ps 98:3

Praise:  Ignatius may have been the first person to refer to the Church as the "Catholic Church." He wrote: "Where the bishop is, there is the Christian community, just as where Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, April 2, 1996


Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 3, 1996