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Easter Season · Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord · Year C

Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

Set Your Minds on Things Above

April 16, 2028

Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God), Francisco de Zurbarán
Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God), Francisco de Zurbarán, c. 1635–1640Museo del Prado, Madrid
A live lamb lies bound on a stone slab against pure black, painted from a real animal with its wool rendered curl by curl. There is no altar, no knife and no figure: just the animal, tied, waiting.Our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Zurbarán refuses every consoling symbol and paints only the thing the metaphor is taken from.Museo del Prado, MadridSpain's national collection, formed from what the Spanish crown had bought over three centuries, which is why its Titians and Rubenses are unmatched.Museo del Prado, Madrid
Roman Lectionary
GospelJohn 20:1-9Jn 20:1-9 orLuke 24:1-12Lk 24:1-12Alt. GospelAfternoon orevening Mass: Luke 24:13-35evening Mass: Lk 24:13-35
Second ReadingCol. 3:1-4Col 3:1-4 or1 Cor. 5:6b-81 Cor 5:6b-8Alt. 2nd ReadingSequence: Victimae Paschali Laudes
First ReadingPs. 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)
Responsorial PsalmActs 10:34a, 37-43

Overview & Insights

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." (Colossians 3:1)

Paul grounds Christian ethics in the resurrection, arguing that believers who have been raised with Christ now belong to a hidden, heavenly reality. He tells the Colossians to orient their thinking and priorities around that risen life rather than around earthly things.

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Take it further: Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

Commentary

Commentary on Colossians 3:1-4Commentary on Col 3:1-4 Working Preacher

Working Preacher's commentary on Paul's call to set hearts on the risen Christ, the RCL's Easter epistle alternate.

Colossians 3:1-4 CommentaryCol 3:1-4 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

A preaching-focused commentary on the resurrection logic behind Paul's ethical imperative.

Colossians 3 CommentaryCol 3 Commentary Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse-by-verse commentary on Colossians 3, including Paul's call to seek the things above.

Colossians 3 CommentaryCol 3 Commentary Precept Austin

In-depth word-study commentary on Colossians 3.

Colossians 3:1 CommentariesCol 3:1 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentaries collected verse by verse on Colossians 3:1.

Background & Word Study

Colossians 3:1 InterlinearCol 3:1 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek text of Colossians 3:1 with word-by-word parsing.

Colossians VideoCol Video BibleProject

An animated overview of the letter to the Colossians and its argument.

The Church Fathers

Colossians 3 CatenaCol 3 Catena Catena

Patristic commentary compiled verse by verse on Colossians chapter 3.

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