Tuesday in the 31st Week of Ordinary Time, November 5, 2024

Philippians 2, 5-11

Brothers and sisters: Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and, found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

St. Paul wrote his Letter to the Philippians towards the end of his first captivity in Rome in the year 64.  During this time he was placed under house arrest by the Roman authorities and was able to receive visitors and exchange letters.  Paul saw his trial in Rome as an opportunity to preach the Gospel to the pagan Romans.  At the same time, he was prepared to die for Christ.  Eventually he was released and he resumed his missionary work elsewhere.  His letter bursts with his energy and commitment to Jesus.  It rings with incredible joy that he is undergoing this for his sake, reminding us of Matthew 5, 12: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

In his Letter he appeals to the Christian’s in the Asia Minor city of Philippi to conform themselves more and more to Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became man for our sake: “who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.”  That is, the Son, equal to the Father in power and majesty, willed to become incarnate.  In obedience to the will of the Father, he does so through his own willing it, and to suffer and die for us.  “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness.”  While remaining divine, he took on a human nature.  He does not come down to us in a way to frighten us but in a way to draw us to love him, as a tiny infant.  “Found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”  We see the most holy Son of God humbly taking on our flesh and submitting himself to our condition so that he could suffer hunger, thirst, and exhaustion —and that he could suffer death.  His humility knew no bounds; his obedience to the Father was absolute.  He even deigned to die the death of a slave on a cross, showing that there is nothing that he would not do out of his love for us and to save us.

“Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.”  We recall how the Angel Gabriel announced the name of the Son of God to her: “You shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1, 31).  This name, meaning “God saves”, was given him by the Father through Joseph and Mary.  It is a glorious name because it reminds us that it is God himself who saves us so that we are truly saved, and not saved for just a time or under certain conditions.  The Father is said to have “exalted” his Son because of his obedience.  He did this through making his holy name known and loved throughout the whole world.  “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  It is long established custom that when we hear or speak the name of Jesus that we bow our heads.  Those in heaven honor him for having brought them there at such great cost.  We on earth honor him because he has brought light to our darkness and given us a path by which we can also make our pilgrimage to heaven.  Those “under the earth” are the souls in purgatory who honor him in their intense longing to look upon his face and to enjoy his embrace.  The tongues of all the blessed fall in worship before the Father, thanking him with all our hearts that his Son is our Lord.

Let us pray to God, on this Election Day, for the peace of our nation.