NEW TESTAMENT: Colossians 1: 15 - 28 (RCL)
Colossians 1: 21 - 29 (Can. BAS)
Colossians 1: 24 - 28 (Roman Catholic)

Colo 1:15 (NRSV) He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers--all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. 21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him-- 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.

h/t Anglican montreal
The Christians at Colossae lived in a society where many adhered to Greek cults. Vv. 15-20 are an early hymn about Christ (“He”); he is how we see (and access) God (“image”). Angelology was popular at the time; “thrones ... powers” (v. 16) were orders of angelic beings; each was “created”, had its origin “in him”, and exists “for him”; any power they have is subordinate to Christ’s. The whole of creation – both heavenly and earthly – were created “through him”, with his participation. He is also the “firstborn” (v. 18), the inheritor from the Father, of created-ness; he governs it, and is the cohesive power of the universe (v. 17). He existed “before all things”, before the first creative act. Greeks saw the “head” (v. 18) as the body’s source of life and growth. Christ is this to the Church, and “head” of it in the modern sense. He is “the beginning”, the nucleus of the restoration of humanity to union with God, of the new created-ness. In his death (“blood of his cross”, v. 20), resurrection, and ascension to the Father, he is the forerunner (“firstborn”, v. 18) of our elevation to being with the Father, of our reconciliation with the Father (v. 20). Christians at Colossae tried to find ultimate power and truth in various deities, but in Christ all power and ultimate truth is present (v. 19).
Before the founding of the church at Colossae, the people there were “estranged ...” (v. 21). They are now with God, fully acceptable to him (“holy ...”, v. 22), thanks to Jesus’ fully human (“fleshly body”) presence and death, so long as they keep to the truth of the gospel and the “hope” (v. 23) it offers (and shun Greek cults). This gospel is available to all (“to every creature”). Paul extended the reach of Christ’s message; it was complete as he received it. In doing so, he suffered “afflictions” (v. 24). So “completing ... Christ’s afflictions” tells of Paul’s afflictions as extending Christ’s – in no way was Christ’s suffering incomplete. Greek cults limited knowledge of mysteries to initiates, but Christ came to make known God’s “mystery” (v. 26) to all (“Gentiles”, v. 27); it had been “hidden” (v. 26) in Old Testament times. Note “everyone” (three times) in v. 28.

1:19: “the fullness of God”: Another translation is: For it pleased God that in him [the Son] all the fullness of the deity should dwell. “Fullness” translates the Greek word pleroma. The pleroma would have had special significance if gnostic ideas formed part of the false teaching at Colossae. In Gnosticism, the pleroma was the whole body of heavenly powers and spiritual emanations that came forth from God. [NOAB] [NJBC] In this context, as can be seen from v. 20, the term “fullness of God” refers to the full power of divine grace which offers full reconciliation through Christ’s cross. John 1:16 tells us: “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace”. See also Colossians 2:10. [CAB] NJBC notes that “of God” is not in the Greek., but note 2:9: “in him [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”.
1:20: “reconcile”: The Greek word is apokatallasso; it is used only in Colossians and Ephesians. In the undisputedly Pauline writings, the word katallasso is used, with the same meaning: see Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. [NJBC] Prevalent Jewish belief was that the world had fallen into the captivity of the ruling powers through the sin of humans. Christ overcame these angelic powers by taking away their control over believers. [JBC]


GOSPEL: Luke 10: 38 - 42 (all)

Luke 10:38 (NRSV) Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Luke emphasizes that Christ came for all: all sectors of society, all peoples, and both sexes. Samaritans, despised by Jews, are welcome in the Kingdom. Jesus has told the seventy that proclaiming his message demands unswerving commitment. The lawyer has learnt that his love should be for everyone; if it is, he has eternal life.
Now Jesus crosses Jewish cultural bounds:
• he is alone with women who are not his relatives;
• a woman serves him; and
• he teaches a woman in her own house.
To sit at someone’s feet (v. 39) was to be his disciple. Mary is Jesus’ disciple. Martha, while devoted to her home, is “distracted” (v. 40) by busy-ness. The “only ... thing” (v. 42) that is really needed is to listen to Jesus’ message and proclaim it. This is the task that Mary has chosen; her role is exemplary. Jesus values Martha’s role, but Mary’s is “better”. (The wording of v. 42a varies among early manuscripts. The differences change the interpretation.)


Verse 40: “tasks”: The Greek word is diakonein. This word became a technical term for Christian ministry, as it is in 2 Corinthians 4:1 (NRSV: “ministry”) and Romans 16:1 (NRSV: “deacon”). As happens so often in Luke’s stories of Jesus’ table fellowship, Jesus, the guest, become the dominant figure, or host, and answers questions about community life: see also 5:29-39; 7:36-50; 11:37-54; 14:1-24; 19:1-10; 24:13-35. [NJBC]
Verse 41: “by many things”: Martha is distracted “by many things” which are not important enough to call for excessive attention or worry. [NOAB]
Verse 42: With delicate ambiguity, Jesus rebukes Martha’s choice of values; a simple meal (one dish) is sufficient for hospitality. Jesus approves of Mary’s preference for listening to his teaching (thereby accepting a woman as a disciple) as contrasted with Martha’s unneeded acts of hospitality (the more usual woman’s role). [NOAB]
Verse 42: “there is need of only one thing”: In other manuscripts this is translated as (1) only a few things are needed, indeed only one and (2) only a few things are needed. (2) seems to indicate that only a few things on the dinner table are needed, while (1) combines this interpretation with that given in Comments. BlkLk says that Jesus begins by protesting that only a few things are wanted for the meal, and he adds as an afterthought that apparently only one thing is needed, his teaching, since Mary is so taken up with it that she does not want anything (else) to eat.
CAB says that these sisters represent two possible priorities for Jesus’ followers: service, or listening to his teaching. The latter is the “better part”.