Like Saint Paul and all the saints, we very often long to depart to be with Christ. Daily
we try to set our minds and hearts on things that are above where Christ
is. For truly we have died, our lives are hidden now with Christ in God. Don’t we consider
everything to be nothing at all compared with knowing Christ Jesus, our Lord? Isn’t
knowing him the best thing of all? Isn’t it because of him that we set
everything else aside? Don’t we consider everything else a pile of rubbish, so
that we can get to know him even more? Don’t we want to know only Christ and
the power of his resurrection? Aren't all of us sharing in his sufferings even
now and so becoming like him in his death? And isn’t it worth it, if somehow we
may attain the resurrection from the dead? True, we haven’t yet reached the
goal; but we are pressing on to make it our own, because Christ Jesus has made
me each of us his own. And so each morning we go up to the altar of God,
the God of our joy, and receive his risen flesh and blood, our promise of
everlasting life and peace and joy.
Photo by Charles O'Connor. Reflection on Saint Paul's Letter to the Philippians 3.
