Hold the Line: Part 3
Power alone doesn’t make a true king. A tyrant can dominate through force. A conqueror can seize territory through violence. However, only a rightful ruler possesses the authority and strength to sustain what they govern. Without that sustaining power, kingdoms crumble, empires fall, and even the mightiest civilization turns to dust.
In the second strophe of St. Paul’s magnificent hymn in Colossians 1:15-20, we encounter a truth that should shake us to our core: Jesus Christ isn’t merely the Creator of all things (Col. 1:16), but also the One who actively holds the universe together (Col. 1:17). Strip Him away, and everything collapses into chaos.
He Alone Is Supreme Above All Things
“And He is before all things…” (Colossians 1:17a)
St. Paul wastes no words and offers no qualifications. Jesus Christ isn’t one option among many, not even the best choice in a field of contenders. He is πρὸ πάντων (pro panton), existing before all things. This phrase establishes both His eternal existence and His sovereign status over every created thing, visible and invisible.
The Greek αὐτός (autos) appears here with deliberate emphasis: He Himself. This isn’t merely a grammatical flourish but a theological proclamation. Christ isn’t a created being, as heretics ancient and modern have claimed. He’s the eternal Son of God, as St. John declares in his Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
St. Paul’s use of “firstborn over all creation” in Colossians 1:15 has confused some readers, but the Apostle isn’t suggesting Christ was created. Rather, the term “firstborn” (πρωτότοκος, prototokos) signifies rank and authority, not chronological order. In Hebrew culture, the firstborn held the position of highest honor and received the father’s inheritance. Christ is the Firstborn in this sense: He holds absolute supremacy over all creation.
The implications for your life are staggering. If you attempt to remove Christ from the center of your theology, your worldview, or your daily decisions, everything else loses coherence. Your purpose becomes muddled. Your priorities scatter. Your strength evaporates. A life built without Christ at the foundation is a house constructed on sand, destined to collapse when the storms come.
Christ Is the Force Holding the Universe Together
“…and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17b)
Here we encounter the seismic truth that should fundamentally reshape how we view reality itself: Jesus is the active sustainer of all things, every moment of every day.
The Greek word συνέστηκεν (synestēken) appears in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action with ongoing, continuous results. This grammatical choice is crucial. Creation isn’t merely a past event that God set in motion like a watchmaker winding a clock and walking away. Rather, it’s an active reality constantly upheld by Christ’s power. He isn’t a distant deity who created the universe and left it to run on autopilot. He is intimately, actively, continuously holding every molecule, every atom, every quantum particle in existence.
This truth echoes throughout Scripture. The author of Hebrews writes that Christ “upholds the universe by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Not “upheld” in the past tense, but “upholds” in the present, active sense. Right now, as you read these words, Christ is sustaining your heartbeat, maintaining the atomic bonds that hold your body together, and preserving the very existence of the chair you sit in and the air you breathe.
Physics doesn’t hold the universe together through some impersonal force. Luck doesn’t maintain cosmic order through random chance. Natural law doesn’t operate independently of its Lawgiver. Christ does. He is the reason gravity functions consistently, why the sun rises predictably, and why the seasons turn in their appointed times.
And here’s where this truth becomes deeply personal for Catholic men struggling under the weight of modern life: It’s not you who holds it all together. You’re not Atlas, condemned to bear the world on your shoulders. Your job isn’t to maintain cosmic order, sustain your family’s existence through sheer force of will, or guarantee outcomes through perfect control.
This truth pulverizes the anxiety that comes from trying to control everything. When you truly grasp that Christ sustains all things, including your life, your family, your work, and your future, fear begins to lose its stranglehold on your heart. The crushing pressure to manage every variable, predict every outcome, and prevent every disaster lifts from your shoulders.
You become free to love without calculating the risks, to lead without demanding perfect control, and to live without the suffocating weight of self-reliance. This isn’t passivity or irresponsibility. Rather, it’s the profound rest that comes from trusting the One who actually holds all things together.
Christ, the Head of the Church
“And He is the head of the body, the church…” (Colossians 1:18a)
St. Paul now narrows his scope from the cosmic to the intensely personal. Christ isn’t merely the sustainer of galaxies and the governor of natural law. He is the Head of the Church, His Mystical Body on earth.
The Greek emphasizes αὐτός (autos) once again: He Himself. There’s no substitute for Christ’s headship. No papal authority, no episcopal structure, no charismatic leader, no innovative ministry model can replace His position as Head. This parallels St. Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 1:22-23, where he writes that God “put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body.”
The analogy is visceral and unmistakable. Just as a human body without a head isn’t merely disabled but dead, so a church without Christ’s authority is spiritually lifeless. It may maintain the appearance of vitality through impressive numbers, compelling programs, emotional worship experiences, or passionate leadership. But without Christ genuinely functioning as Head, directing every movement and infusing life into every member, it is a corpse going through the motions.
This truth extends beyond the institutional Church to your personal life as a Catholic man. Suppose you’re attempting to lead your home, guide your children, manage your career, or direct your interior life without being rooted in Christ and submitted to His headship. In that case, you’re operating as a body without a head. You may maintain the appearance of leadership through sheer willpower and determination, but you’re fundamentally disconnected from your source of life and direction.
Consider the practical implications. When you make decisions about your family’s future, are you consulting Christ as your Head, seeking His will through prayer and the sacraments? When you face challenges at work, do you draw strength from your connection to Christ or rely solely on your own resources? When you confront temptation, are you fighting in union with Christ your Head, or battling alone in your own strength?
When Men Disconnect from Their Source
The Colossians faced a clear and present danger. False teachers were infiltrating their community, promoting philosophies and mystical practices that undermined Christ’s supremacy (Colossians 2:8). These heretics taught that Christ was merely one spiritual being among many, that additional secret knowledge was necessary for salvation, and that harsh treatment of the body through ascetic practices brought spiritual enlightenment.
St. Paul wrote this letter to demolish these lies and reestablish Christ’s absolute supremacy in the minds and hearts of the Colossian believers. His message was urgent because he recognized a fundamental truth: when you demote Christ from His rightful place as supreme over all things and Head of the Church, you cut yourself off from your source of life.
Many Catholic men today face a strikingly similar danger, though the specific heresies may differ in form. We chase control over our circumstances, believing that if we can just manage enough variables, we can guarantee favorable outcomes. We build our identities on performance at work, reputation in our communities, and the appearance of having it all together. We achieve strength through self-reliance, discipline through willpower, and security through careful planning and risk management.
These pursuits aren’t inherently evil. Planning is wise. Hard work is virtuous. Building a good reputation through integrity is commendable. But when these things become disconnected from Christ, when we pursue them as ends in themselves rather than as means of serving Him, we cut ourselves off from our source. We become like a branch severed from the vine, still appearing alive for a season but inevitably withering.
Then we wonder why the cracks start to appear. Why does anxiety plague us despite our careful planning? Why does depression creep in despite our achievements? Why do our families struggle despite our hard work? Why does temptation overpower us despite our best efforts at self-discipline?
The answer is sobering: we are trying to function as a body without a head, drawing from a well that has run dry, sustaining ourselves through our own power rather than Christ’s.
The Call to Return to Your Source
St. Paul’s call to the Colossians is the same call issued to every Catholic man today: return to the One who holds all things together. Not merely as an intellectual belief you affirm on Sundays, but as the living foundation of your entire existence.
This isn’t a call to passivity or weakness. Christ Himself demonstrated the perfect integration of strength and submission, power and humility, authority and obedience. He’s the model of true masculine strength precisely because His strength flows from perfect union with the Father.
Consider the source of your security. Does it rest in your bank account, job stability, physical health, or reputation? All of these can vanish in a moment. Or does your security rest in Christ, who holds all things together and cannot be shaken?
Consider the foundation of your peace. Does it depend on circumstances going according to your plans, on your ability to control outcomes, or on others meeting your expectations? This is a recipe for perpetual anxiety. Or does your peace flow from trust in Christ, who sustains all things and works all things for the good of those who love Him?
Consider the basis of your identity. Is it built on your performance, achievements, roles, or possessions? These are shifting sands. Or is your identity rooted in your relationship with Christ, who is before all things and in whom all things hold together?
The call is clear but not easy. Fear erupts in our hearts when we realize we cannot hold everything together through our own strength. The illusion of control feels safer than the reality of dependence, even dependence on God. But St. John reminds us that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). When you root your life deeply in Christ and His love for you, fear loses its power.
Christ isn’t merely enough to get by. He’s not a supplement to help when you falter. He’s everything. In Him, you find complete security because He holds all things together. In Him, you find true peace because He sustains all things by His power. In Him, you find ultimate fulfillment because He is the source and goal of all existence.
A Call to Examination and Action
Ask yourself these diagnostic questions with ruthless honesty:
Is Christ holding your life together, or are you attempting to do it alone? Be specific. Examine your daily schedule, decision-making process, and stress response. Where is Christ truly functioning as the sustainer of your life, and where have you assumed that role yourself?
Have you confused leadership with control and discipline with self-reliance? True Christian leadership flows from submission to Christ as Head. True Christian discipline draws strength from Christ as Sustainer. Where have you substituted your own strength for His?
Are you rooted in the One who sustains all things, or merely maintaining the appearance of strength? It’s possible to project confidence while being spiritually empty. It’s possible to appear in control while being consumed by anxiety. Are you genuinely connected to Christ, or performing strength for others?
If these questions unsettle you, that unsettlement is the work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t push it away or rationalize it. Let it drive you to action.
Now is the time to return to your Source. Not tomorrow. Not after you get your life in order. Not when you feel more worthy. Now.
Christ created you for a purpose. Christ sustains you every moment of every day. Christ desires to lead you as your Head. He alone holds all things together, including your life.
The question is: will you trust Him to do so?
YOU WEREN’T MADE TO HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER.
Christ sustains the universe. He can sustain your life too, if you’ll let Him.
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Perfect love casts out fear. Start here.
