Lent, day 4: What to wear for Lent

(photo by RRC, from the National Archaeological Museum, Naples)

My translation of Colossians 3:12-14.

Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν,

ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιοι καὶ ἠγαπημένοι,

σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ χρηστότητα ταπεινοφροσύνην πραΰτητα μακροθυμίαν,

   ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων

καὶ χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν·

καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς·

   ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις τὴν ἀγάπην,

ὅ ἐστιν σύνδεσμος τῆς τελειότητος.

Clothe yourselves,

            as God’s chosen, holy and beloved,

                        with a compassionate heart, helpfulness, humility, courteousness, patience,

   bearing with one another

            and forgiving each other, if anyone has a complaint against another–

                        even as the Lord has forgiven you, so you should also forgive.

   Over all these, clothe yourselves with Love,

            which holds everything together perfectly.

___________________________

If you need a primer on Lent, see Kathleen Mulhern’s “What is Lent” article on the excellent religion website Patheos.

On Monday, I’ll be comparing Colossians with the Many Headed Hydra, in a good way, and will look at Colossians 2:4, 8 as well.