made of a woman, made under the law, that He might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (4, 4-5)
In his Epistle to the Colossians the apostle says: “We cease not to pray for you, that you may give thanks to God the Father who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His Blood, the remission of sins: who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature. For in Him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and in Him: and He is before all, and by Him all things consist” (1, 13 — 17). “Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the Fulness of the Godhead corporally ” (2, 8. 9).
To the Philippians he writes: “That in the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father" (2, 10, 11).
St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews begins by these words: “God who, in sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all in these days hath spoken to us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the world. Who, being the brightness of His glory, and the figure of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, making purgation of sins, sitteth on the right hand of the majesty on high” (1, 1—3).
The Relics of the Saints. We give the name of relics to the bones, or any objects that are connected with the Saints, and we venerate them, because God has often worked miracles by them. In the Old Testament (chapter LXV) we learnt how a dead man was raised to life by the bones of the prophet Eliseus; and in the chapter we have just read we are told how the sick were healed, and those who were possessed by the devil were delivered by the touch of St. Paul’s handkerchief or girdle. We must not suppose that there lies in the relics of the Saints a hidden virtue which works miracles, for it is not the relics themselves which work the miracles, but God who works through them, in order to testify and bring honour to the virtues and merits of His Saints.
St. Paul's virtues, and especially his love for Jesus. In chapter XCIV we examined some of St. Paul’s virtues, and especially admired his zeal, fortitude and humility. The chapter we have just read also shows us his indefatigable zeal, which came from his love of Jesus. He journeyed about from town to town, from country to country, everywhere
