30 October 2020 - Friday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time - Philippians 1:1-11 -

       Today is the last weekday mass in the month of October, the month dedicated to Mary and the Respect for Life.  In the last several weeks, we have been hearing from Paul’s letters to the Galatians and the Ephesians.  Today, we hear from the beginning of his letter to the Philippians.  Like some of Paul’s other letters, this letter was written while Paul was in prison, which makes the joy that permeates this letter all the more striking and meaningful. 

     I am leading a virtual group for THE SEARCH through Zoom every Thursday evening.  Last Thursday, we looked at the story narrative our faith and in the Bible.  One of the quotes from the host of The Search Chris Stefanick noted that “for a Christian, joy isn't what happens when life is going perfectly; it's what happens when you know you are loved perfectly, even when life is a mess.”  We all know that life can be a mess sometimes, that things don’t work out like we want them to, and that we often deal with crisis, struggle, and brokenness.  But that does not mean that we cannot feel the joy of our faith in those moments.  If Paul felt the joy of his felt in the midst of his struggles and his time of incarceration in prison, then we can feel the joy of our faith in the midst of our ups and downs as well.  The Philippians to which Paul writes are located in Macedonia, north of Greece, and was named after King Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. At the time Paul was writing to them, Philippi was a part of the Roman empire, so its inhabitants were proud Roman citizens. 

      Paul states in the beginning of this letter saying that he gives thanks to the Philippians as he remembers them, praying with joy for them in his prayers. Paul remembers of that the Philippians have done since the day of their conversion.  They have provided material help to the poorer churches and they have endured their sufferings for the said of the Gospel.  

       Having joy in our faith can be a challenge sometimes, can’t it, in the reality of our lives, a reality that can be very harsh sometimes.  Hopefully Paul’s journey of faith can be an inspiration for us.