“I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother. Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ to order you to do what is proper, I rather urge you out of love…” (Phlm 1: 7-9)
Whatever we do out of love touches Our Lord’s heart. We can do things properly; we can do things joyfully, or we can do things heartily. The same thing was done, but our attitude is different, and we can change the way in which we respond to each other. Our Lord urges us today to be with Him and with our brothers and sisters in a very new way.
“Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for his friends.” (Communion Antiphon)
“… Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body
to conform with his glorified Body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.” (Phil 3: 20-21–4:1)
Our Lord knows us perfectly. We are His beloved brothers and sisters not because we are perfect, but because we are chosen by God the Father to be His children. He knows our limits, “our lowly body,” so He doesn’t expect that we will be able to change ourselves into “his glorified body.” We “await a savior” who will change our lowly body by His power and will “bring all things into subjection to himself.”
I like to think about you, my brothers and sisters, readers of my daily homilies, like St. Paul: “my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved.”
“You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.” (Communion Antiphon)
“Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.” (Phil 2: 3-4)
I and my own interests or others—the simple test of selfishness or vainglory. Who is more important for me: others or myself? The only way to fulfill my life is to be a gift of self. It is too difficult to be a gift of self when I am more important then others.
“Amen, I say to you: That you who have left all and followed me will receive a hundredfold and possess eternal life.” (Communion Antiphon)
“And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1: 9-11)
There is no end to the possibility of increasing in love. It is quite similar to the case with heat and light: heat could be hotter and light could be greater. It can’t happen with cold and dark because… they don’t exist; cold is just the absence of heat and dark is the absence of light.
“Thus says the Lord: Let whoever is thirsty come to me and drink. Streams of living water will flow from within the one who believes in me.” (Communion Antiphon)
“…but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, willingly serving the Lord and not men, knowing that each will be requited from the Lord for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” (Eph 6: 6-8)
God created us in His image and likeness to multiply good on Earth. “The will of God” is only one: to enable our hearts to love like He loves. He is so generous and looks “for whatever good we do;” He is quick to requite any act of goodness.
“We will ring out our joy at your saving help and exult in the name of our God.” (Communion Antiphon)
“I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner self, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3: 14-19)
We need to be rooted and grounded in love, not in knowledge, because “the love of Christ surpasses knowledge.” We know how important knowledge is, we know about fides quaerens intellectum (faith seeking understanding), but at the same moment, we know that only those who love have a real access to real knowledge—“to know the love of Christ.” Rooted and grounded in love, we may be filled with the fullness of God. To be a sincere gift of self we have to love. Only the love of Christ can motivate us to give.
“I consider all things so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“…In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Eph 2: 22)
All the elements are so important: built “together”, as “a dwelling place of God”, “in the Spirit.”
“Together.” We are created as human beings and intended for relations: for being united and related. No one exists for him/herself. We are intended to become a gift of self.
“A dwelling place.” In other words—a temple, a very special place of worship. We are intended to be connected with God in our bodies and in our hearts.
“In the Spirit.” He knows everything about our limits. Not only did He create us, not only did He redeem us, but He also sanctifies us. The Holy Spirit is the constructor, and we “are being built.”
“To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God; turn your ear to me; hear my words. Guard me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of your wings protect me.” (Entrance Antiphon)
“Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.” (Lk 12: 21)
What matters to God? Everything which is connected with an unconditional gift of self. Even being rich is OK with God. The only thing which is unacceptable for God is egoism, things we do for ourselves. Like in today’s Gospel: “treasure for himself,” success for himself, pleasure and appreciation for himself.
“I resolved to know nothing while I was with you, except for Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (Entrance Antiphon)
“… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal 5: 22-23)
God knows perfectly our condition and situation. He became a man, died for us on the cross and sent us His Holy Spirit, who supports us in every situation. His presence in us is very fruitful. Because God is One in Three Persons, His gifts are also intended to unite us and to open our hearts for others. When we look at Him, listen to Him and follow Him, the fruit of the Spirit could “explode” in our lives – for ourselves, our friends and neighbors.
“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation)
“If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.” (Phil 2: 1 – 5)
Whenever I read this text, I think about my Community of consecrated people and married couples. There is only one vocation—to love—and two different ways to realize this vocation: consecration and marriage. We can listen to the same “encouragement in Christ” and think about my sister, my brother or my spouse. We can change our environment by these simple steps: “be of the same mind,” “united,” “humbly regarding others as more important…”
“All that you have done to us, O Lord, you have done with true judgment, for we have sinned against you and not obeyed your commandments. But give glory to your name and deal with us according to the bounty of your mercy.” (Entrance Antiphon)
