Today’s reading from COL 1:15-20 is a puzzle to everyone outside of Catholic Fundamentalism. It was revealed to St. Paul. It was written down. It was studied. It was believed. It was never understood. This passage has perplexed theologians for two thousand years. The passage so confusing that it justified schisms finally makes sense.
Failure to understand this passage allowed the Greeks to justify leaving The Catholic Church. It allowed some of the later Protestants to go into schisms, as well. Their combined departures into ever smaller schisms has allowed every evil to flourish. Comprehending this passage has, therefore, has the power to bring the Greeks back to the Roman Catholic Church, and inspire all the schismatics who want to be saved to follow.
Catholic Fundamentalism will explain it. The insight must be shared. It may do great mending. It is the most important passage in history! From the time you finish throughout the remainder of your life, the passage that has puzzled and perplexed the ages will make such perfect and obvious sense that you will think you always understood it. What a great joy it is!
“Brothers and sisters:
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.”
The meaning? When we read this passage in Catholic Fundamentalism terms, The Father is The Loving Programmer. Jesus Christ, the Second Person of The Holy Trinity, is The Program. Now, we read it, using Catholic Fundamentalism terms to relate better to the passage without detracting from the power and majesty of God, merely using word that better describe His awesome power:
“Brothers and sisters:
The Program is the image of The Loving Programmer,
the first thing to be written and downloaded.
For in The Program were created all things in The Creation Program,
the visible and the invisible,
whether Programming Assistants or what was programmed;
all things were written and downloaded through and for The Program.”
The meaning? Catholic Fundamentalism describes The Father as The Loving Programmer. When we read the rest of this passage in Catholic Fundamentalism terms, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of The Holy Trinity, is The Program. The Program took human form. The fullness of The Program came to earth in the Person of Jesus Christ. Take the challenge of reading the puzzling passage, replacing “Christ Jesus and the pronouns referring to Him with “The Program:
“Brothers and sisters: The Program is before all things,
and in The Program, all things hold together.
The Program is the head of the Body, the Church, the faithful programmed entities on earth.
The Program is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things The Program Himself might be preeminent.
For in The Program all The Programmer’s fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through The Program to reconcile all things for The Program,
making peace by the Blood of The Program’s painful erasure on the cross
through The Program, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
As we see the overwhelming reality, we see The Loving Programmer and Program are one. Who provided the action by which The Creation Program was written and downloaded by The Loving Programmer? Who allowed The Program to take human form and come among us? The Holy Wireless Connector, joining God and man, Programmer and Program, Creator and Created.
At the heart of all this, and I pray that every Protestant may see enough of this truth to be fully saved, is that passage of Jesus: “If you do not eat My Body and drink My Blood, you do not have life in you.” For such as do not take Catholic Communion, there can only be less awareness of the fullness that awaits, joining our tiny, beloved human programs with He Who is Programmer, Program, and Actuator of all.
