Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Have no anxiety at all?? Surely, Paul’s letter to the Phillipians (4:4-9) does not apply to us today, right? With all that is happening in our world, it’s hard to imagine having “no anxiety at all.” If Paul were writing to us in this day and age with multiple wars, significant political divisions, mass shootings, global climate change and increasingly severe natural disasters, disease and pandemics, surely he wouldn’t exhort us to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” Or would he?
St. Paul’s life certainly wasn’t a cake walk. After his conversion experience (involving temporary blindness) he endured beatings, stonings, shipwreck, hunger, imprisonment and was eventually beheaded in Rome. So, this exhortation to “Have no anxiety at all” is not a bunch of fluff from one who has not suffered; these are words born of wisdom. He continues, “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
The responsorial psalm (131) for today’s readings (optional memorial of St. Martin de Porres) carries a similar message, “In you, Lord, I have found my peace.” With the beautiful imagery, “...I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me.”
Coming back to Paul’s letter to the Phillipians, perhaps we find a clue to opening ourselves up to this peace, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things….Then the God of peace will be with you.”
An apt reminder, perhaps, for us to silence the news and rhetoric for a while each day and turn our minds and hearts to whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, and worthy of praise – the God of peace.
~Eileen Miller