Our second reading is one of my favorite passages in the
entire New Testament and one of the most precious texts in our Christian
Tradition: the second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
Each of Paul’s letters is unique. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explains
the Christian faith in a very Roman manner—as a systematic and theological treatise;
in his letter to the Galatians, he chastised the Galatians for abandoning the orthodox
Christian Faith and turning to false doctrines; in his very practical first
letter to the Corinthians he corrects many of that communities moral failings;
and in his profound letter to the Ephesians, Paul develops an understanding of
the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.
His letter to the Philippians isn’t so much a theological
treatise or condemnation of moral transgressions as it is a very pastoral,
personal, intimate letter to a community of Christians for whom Paul had a
particular fondness. Phillipi was this
small Roman colony in eastern Macedonia.
And it was the first city in Europe Paul evangelized; so Christianity
came to Europe through this little colony at Philipi.
Paul wrote his letter some twenty years after his first
visit, when under house arrest in Rome he awaited his death. Though he praises the Philippians for their
faith, he also writes about one of his great worries, the threat of disunity.
Find your unity, he writes, by “having in you the same
attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.”
So he’s telling the Philippians, here’s how you need to operate, here’s
how you need to think, have the same attitude, the same mind, as Jesus.
How does he describe the attitude? “Though Jesus was in the form of God, he
didn’t deem equality with God as something to be grasp at.” Jesus didn’t lord the fact that he was God
over others. When the people wanted to
make Jesus King when he multiplied the loaves, he withdrew to the
mountain. He sought not the place of
power, but the place of service. He was
God; there is no doubt that the biblical testimony and the faith of the Church
was that Jesus is God in the flesh. Yet,
he did not grasp at godliness.
His humility is in striking contrast to the pride of
Lucifer, the Devil. Lucifer, created as
an angel of great intellect and beauty desired to be higher in heaven, he
wanted to take God’s place, he did grasp at godliness. He wanted to Lord power over the other angels
and over creation, so he led a rebellion against God and God’s faithful
angels. Of course there was really no
contest, Satan was cast out of heaven, he fell like lightning.
In his malice, he tempted Adam and Even in the garden to do
the same. He told them that they could
not be happy unless they grasp at the fruit, they couldn’t be happy unless they
made themselves like God.
One of the famous lines of John Milton’s Paradise lost has
Satan standing before God and saying, “non serviam”, I will not serve. Jesus, on the other hand, says I have come
not to be served, but to serve. Paul
tells us that Jesus emptied himself and became a slave. Jesus shows that true glory is not found in
grasping, but in giving; that true freedom comes not in disobedience, but
through obedience. Where Satan rebels
against God and tempts humans to do the same; Jesus shows that true Joy is
found in surrendering to the will of God the Father.
And Saint Paul is telling the Christians of Philipi and all
of us, to have the same attitude as Christ; not of Satanic pride, but of
Christ’s humility.
Humility, many Christian writers say, was Jesus’ favorite
virtue.
Jesus chose to be born in a stable, into a family forced to
become refugees in Egypt. He lived in
the obscure village of Nazareth. He had the menial job of a carpenter. During
His public ministry, Jesus had nowhere to lay His head. He took his meals with the outcasts, laid
hands on the lepers. He allowed himself
to be scourged, and mocked, and put to death as a criminal. Jesus’ humility is
beyond comprehension.
Yet he shows us that we cannot have true love without
humility. There is no eternal life
without humility. We cannot know, love,
and serve God without humility.
Jesus shows through his humble death, that our greatest
strength comes in our ability to lay down our life, the great power that comes
in humbly admitting our need for God.
Happiness does not come in seeking positions of power, but in giving up
our power that we may serve, it doesn’t come in Lording possessions be in
generous giving of our time, talent, and treasure
St. Paul recognized that pride and unhealthy ambition which
are the opposite of humility often lead people to lie, cheat, and compromise
their faith in order to obtain the success they crave. So he says, “Do nothing out of selfishness or
out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than
yourselves.”
There is a beautiful prayer written by Cardinal Merry del
Val the Secretary of State of Pope Saint Pius X which honestly, I have not
prayed enough, called the litany of humility.
It goes “From the desire of being esteemed…deliver me Jesus. From the desire of being praised…deliver me
Jesus. From the desire of being
preferred to others…deliver me Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I…Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
it. That in the opinion of the world,
others may increase, and I may decrease…Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.” A beautiful prayer which reflects what Paul
is trying to teach the Philippians.
We get in trouble when we grasp, when we cling to the past,
or when we cling to created things. Our
souls are in trouble when we grasp at the newest technology, or the new car, or
the new lover, as if they will fill the
emptiness in. Happiness is not found
in clinging and grasping, but surrendering to the will of the Father.
As we come forward today to the receive the Eucharist,
recognize Jesus who has emptied himself—who has so humbled himself to become
food that is gnawed and digested. But he
does so, that we may be strengthen in holiness, that we may emulate his own
self-emptying and humble service to the Father.
May we become what we receive, to quote St. Augustine. Eucharist, broken and poured out for others,
offered to the Father, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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