The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 14, 2024

Ephesians 1, 3–14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption by his Blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.  In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

St. Paul lived among the Christians of Ephesus for two years and three months (the years 52-53), building the church there from scratch and in the midst of constant trouble from both the Jews and the pagans whose livelihood depended on the worship of Athena at the great temple there.  After leaving Ephesus, to the sorrow of the Christians, he traveled to Corinth in Greece, where he spread the Gospel for three months.  Paul writes this letter between the years 58 and 61, probably in Rome.  It was written at about the same time as the Letter to the Colossians, as is proven from the fact that a believer named Tychicus is mentioned at the end of both letters as conveying them to their destinations.

Following his greeting in this letter (Ephesians 1, 1-2), in today’s second reading, St. Paul launches into a marvelous, sweeping description of God’s Providence — his plan for saving the elect through the Blood of his Son.  This reminder to them of God’s care for them and that they were members of the Body of Christ came as a most necessary and effective consolation for the relatively small band of faithful who felt isolated and vulnerable.

“As he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.”  St. Paul uses the word “us” to show the Ephesians that they share with Paul in a divinely ordered destiny.  This destiny was established by Almighty God “before the foundation of the world”.  This is very different from the prevailing ideas that what happened to a person after being born was determined by the distant stars or the uncaring Fates.  Paul says, God is actively working in our lives to bring about our salvation, no matter where we were born, what our state of life is, or whether we are Jew or Greek.  In order that we not hinder God’s work and that we might cooperate with it, we ought to be “holy and without blemish before him.”  

“In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ.”  This relationship initiated with us by God, Paul says, is motivated simply by his love for us, and so great is his love for us that he has adopted us as his most dear children.  This is a stupefying revelation, that the infinite God before whom even the choirs of angels are as specks of dust, has a deep and personal love for each of us.  “For the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the Beloved.”  The Father Almighty comes to us through his beloved Son, “in [whom] we have redemption by his Blood.”  The Blood of the Incarnate Son reveals both the limitless love of both the Father and the Son for us, and also makes our salvation possible through its being shed for our sins.  This mention of the Son’s Blood reminds us that the Son did not die for innocent human beings, but sinful ones, making the Sacrifice almost too great to begin to appreciate.  “The riches of his grace that he lavished upon us.”  The Greek verb translated here as “lavished” means to super-abound, to exceed, to be far more than necessary.  His grace gushes wildly upon us — it is all undeserved, but it does not matter to God, because he loves us.  His grace changes us into saints and dresses us for salvation.

“He has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.”  Almighty God, in his love for us, makes his plan known to us so that we might cooperate with it and also so that we might be in awe of him who created it and chose us to take part in it.  In this plan the Father will renew all of creation in his Son, making a new heaven and a new earth: “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create” (Isaiah 65, 17-18).  And he creates this new heaven and new earth for us, who are chosen by him: “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things.”  You and I were chosen for this, we were created for this!

“In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”  Having heard the Gospel, believing in the truth it reveals, and living according to the commandments of love, we are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit.  That is, the seal of God is impressed upon our souls by the Holy Spirit, identifying us as the adopted children of God.

We belong to God now, so let us spend our lives doing his holy will.