Category Archives: Philippians

With honor and grace

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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. Philippians 4:8

Today I will do my best to embody honor, justice, purity, loveliness, graciousness, and excellence in all my relationships. I will give praise to God for our beautiful world and my family and friends. I will be a peaceful presence at home, in my community, and in the world.

Turn towards the light

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Ralph Stackpole (1885-1973)
Worship, 1915

Since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Ezekiel 18:28

It’s never too late to turn from resentment, hostility, indifference, self-righteousness, divisiveness, racism…

Today is the day I will turn towards the light of forgiveness, kindness, compassion,  generosity, unity, and respect for all members of our human family.

Lord, give me the courage to follow your Way of life.

Becoming obedient

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Jesus Before Pilate, James Tissot (1836-1902)
First Interview (Jésus devant Pilate. Premier entretien).
gouache over graphite on gray wove paper
between 1886 and 1894
Brooklyn Museum

[Jesus] humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

In all times God walks with us through fear, pain, uncertainty, sorrow, and grief. Our part is to trust God’s will, trust God’s vision, trust God’s love, trust God is with us.

Today I will accept that this is a time of illness and isolation. I will ask God to show me God’s will for me and for the grace to carry it out.

 

 

With thanksgiving

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I place my anxieties into God’s hands today. I will not be afraid for God hears me and responds with love and compassion.

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your presence.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Philippians 4:6

Prepare the Way

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John the Baptist Preaching

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. Philippians 1:9

To prepare the Way of the Lord, I deliberately practice the qualities love wherever I find myself.

Patience. Kindness. Forbearance. Trust. Hope. Reverence. Humility. Gratitude. Compassion.

Today I will choose to love.

Humbled and graced

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JESUS MAFA. The Crucifixion; Jesus dies on the cross, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.

If I were humble enough to surrender my whole self to God’s will… perhaps I would stop resisting pain and suffering… perhaps I would forgive those who hurt me… speak out in defense of the poor and vulnerable… respond to aggression with nonviolence… choose the power of love over the idol of fear—even if it meant being killed.

May I be willing to be taught by God, who is love. May I be graced with the knowledge that love never fails.

[Jesus] humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

Nonviolence

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James Tissot (1836-1902)
Le fils de la vigne
opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, between 1886 and 1894
Brooklyn Museum

Negativity. Pessimism. Put-downs. Sarcasm. Hostility. These are forms of violence that tackle me daily in the news, on the Internet, at the workplace, and sometimes from my own attitudes and behaviors.

My defense against the darkness of violence is to put my thoughts on God’s boundless love and wisdom, and to practice bringing the light of gratitude, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion to every circumstance in which I find myself.

Thank you, Lord, for being with me right now, in this moment. Help me to walk in the light of your love. Show me how to be a nonviolent presence in our troubled world.

Finally, sisters and brothers,
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. Phillipians 4:8

Holy Week Hush

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Margret Hofheinz-Döring, 1910-1994
Fußwaschung
Linolschnitt – Handabzug, 1932

Let me listen to God’s silence during this Holy Week.

Let me empty myself of worry, negativity, resentment, indifference, fear, and self-seeking.

Let me be filled with God’s love, peace, and compassion.

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself. Philippians 2:6-7a

The mind and heart of Jesus Christ

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Rembrandt (1606-1669) Le lavement des pieds between 1640 and 1649 Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Le lavement des pieds, between 1640 and 1649
Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Have in you the same attitude that is also in
Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Philippians 2:5-6

I am made in the image and likeness of God. Today I will choose the God-like attitude of love, forgiveness, and compassion in my relationship with myself and others, and I will seek a way to be of service to someone in need.