All the verses from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians can be used in our contemplative practice as a set of mantras. When our minds wander around, pick a phrase or a word used in the verses to bring us back to the present moment. For example, we can gently say “Rejoice” or “The Lord is near, the Lord is here.” This morning I would like to share my reflection on each sentence, and I would like to do this quite liberally in that I won’t go into contextual details of why St. Paul had to say these sayings. I also invite you to ponder on these sayings. So this practice helps you gain wisdom. I am curious to learn and hear from you how the Holy Spirit enlightens you with her Wisdom in your reflective meditation.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Joy is distinct from happiness in that it is the source of true happiness. The key here is that this joy is found “in the Lord” according to St. Paul. This presupposes that God is the very source of joy, and when we’re in the presence of God, joy is available to us. Then our practical question is how we can be in God’s presence. God is nowhere when we have no eyes of contemplation, but God is now here in the very present moment of contemplation. Silence is the very first word God speaks to us in contemplation. Silence then is not an absence of sounds. Rather it is the background music of life, the divine chant that captures the Spirit breathing into our nostrils, keeping us alive. It’s like the air we constantly breathe but take it for granted. Sitting in silence, listening to the sound of silence, is the first step to rejoice in the Lord. This joy is not illusional. It’s realistic as Wendel Berry once said, “Be joyful though you have considered all the facts.” “Let your gentleness be known to everyone.” St. Paul has high expectations of his fellow Christians that they all have a virtue of gentleness. This applies to all of us that we too have gentleness embedded in us whether we believe it or not! While our expression of gentleness varies which depends on our characteristics, this virtue is how we want to be known and remembered. In the same way, we want to remember the gentleness that others have shown us. When I think of each one of you, for example, I have no trouble recollecting the moments you’ve shown your gentleness and kindness to me. This is how we want to remember others and how we want to be remembered. “The Lord is near.” The Lord is near. The Lord is here. The Lord is nearer than we are to ourselves. The closer we are to God, the closer we are to the depth of our being. Imagine good friends seeking to be together. When our hearts confess God’s nearness, we’re in union with God already. Jesus is the flesh symbol of God’s nearness to us and the world. “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Worry isolates us and keeps us from reality. It takes us to the future that hasn’t happened yet and creates anxiety. St. Paul urges us to dig deeper into our worries and let God know our requests with thanksgiving. The essence of his wisdom on how to handle worry is to start with gratitude. Gratitude takes us back into our reality. In the spirit of thanksgiving, we take nothing for gratitude. I’m here right now and have come thus far, never on my own. Our focus is no longer on ourselves but on others. Self-concern is like a swamp that swallows us up whereas gratefulness is like a clear sky or ocean that helps us see beyond ourselves. The word “Eucharist” means giving thanks. We Christians are Eucharistic in a literal sense. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The peace of God is not a state where there’s no disturbance or trouble. Remember what the resurrected Christ said when he first saw his friends? It’s not “Hi!” or, “I told you I would be back.” He said, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) This peace is born of the resurrection. It overcomes death. In the midst of conflicts, God’s peace, just like joy, remains available to us, but not for our own sakes but for us to be a peacemaker. |
Paul"...life up your love to that cloud [of unknowing]...let God draw your love up to that cloud...through the help of his grace, to forget every other thing." Archives
January 2025
|