bowels
The Letter of Paul to the Colossians 3:12 (NABRE) describes a number of traits Christians should endeavor to adopt in terms of getting dressed in them. Paul describes the process this way: “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” In many translations, the text is rendered somewhat freely to appeal better to modern sensibility, but in the process an interesting thought about the text is lost.
In the Greek, the things we’re urged to put on are the σπλάγχνα (splanchna), which is literally the bowels or guts of compassion, kindness, etc. It can be fairly difficult to relate to such a gross image. The extremely interesting thing that gets lost in the more mild translations is the contrast between internal and external. The theme of getting dressed suggests an outward appearance that is separate from who a person really is. At first glance, this looks like a fake-it-till-you-make-it sort of passage. With the added element of these new attitudes being visceral and internal, the suggested change seems to be at the deepest level of who a person is. While the adoption of these traits will change our appearance, the change needs to be much deeper at the heart of who we are.
This Christmas season consider the extent to which you’ve prepared for Christ during the season of Advent. To what extent have you been deeply changed by your faith?
you also may like our two-part study of the psalms
Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church provides an in-depth look at all 150 psalms based on The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, a translation prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). This translation is being included in new Liturgy of the Hours books. Volume I currently is available only in a digital format. Click on these links to view a sample first lesson from Volume I and another from Volume II.
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