The Holy Father meditated on the Canticle of St. Paul’s Letter to the Colossians in today’s general audience, which presents the “great figure of Christ” as “Lord of the universe,” and “Lord of the history of salvation…‘Because in Him all things were created. Everything was created by Him and for Him.’”

“Therefore,” he continued, “there exists the transcendent plan of God which is carried out by His Son. He is also the Lord of the history of salvation which manifests itself in the Church and is brought to fruition in the 'blood of the cross,' font of peace and harmony for all of humanity.” Christ’s presence in history means that it “is not subject to blind and irrational forces despite sin and evil, it is subject and directed - through Christ's work - to plenitude," said John Paul II.

The hymn, he said, "depicts a beautiful vision of the universe and of history, inviting us to have faith. We are not a small particle of insignificant dust, dispersed in space and time without meaning but rather we are part of a well-thought out project which comes from the Father's love."