I, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus, urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment; I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. (Philemon 9-10, 12-17)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/090725.cfm
Onesimus is a runaway slave. The punishment is crucifixion so that slaves wouldn’t get infected by the idea of freedom. Nevertheless, Paul sends Onesimus back to his owner asking that he be received not as a slave but as a beloved brother. We don’t know how the case of Onesimus was resolved. But I think that Saint Paul won over the heart of Philemon. Today’s photo is of the broken shackles and chains beneath the feet of the Statue of Liberty. https://youtu.be/tnfcofde5vw?si=LJYx5XqRGDhMrfQB
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Sunday XXIII, Ordinary Time
