Listening to passages from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians at Lauds in recent weeks, it occurred to me that, if Paul of Tarsus had written a rule of life as St. Benedict did, then it would have read much like this biblical text. This composition stands out from the rest of the Pauline writings in that it is a letter of friendship, gratitude, and tender love. Paul is not correcting misbehavior in the Christian community or arguing against bad theology. He is not defending himself or his teachings from agitators or “super-apostles” causing havoc in communities that he had established earlier in his missionary travels. Instead, Paul is thanking the Christian community at Philippi for their financial support and loving concern for him. Furthermore, he offers words of encouragement to persevere in the faith, having among themselves the same attitude and way of thinking as Jesus (2:1-5).
What is revealed in Philippians is Paul’s tender side. Tender doesn’t mean wimpy; rather, what comes through in this letter is deeply-held conviction expressed in a non-defensive tone. Moreover, Paul encourages rejoicing: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, 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” (4:4-7). This is Paul’s vision of Christian life and community.
The peace and joy of which Paul speaks does not deny the hardships and challenges of human life and conditions. He understands completely that there are those who oppose the Gospel outright and others who twist the message of the Gospel for their own selfish interests (3:17-19). He has experienced this himself first-hand—beatings, imprisonment, and rejection. For him, these various forms of suffering and hardship are opportunities to be united with Christ and Christ’s own sufferings. Christian joy is the fruit of self-emptying, of total giving of self in love with humble acceptance because God’s having raised Jesus from the dead testifies to God’s relentless, salvific love for us.
Paul gives us a glimpse into his own conversion of heart by admitting that he once believed that “being right with God” relied upon one’s zeal for keeping the letter of the Mosaic Law. As a Pharisee, he prided himself on his perfect observance of the Law. Every ounce of focus and energy went into this rigorous observance of rules and regulations. Having come face-to-face with the Risen Jesus, Paul grew to realize that it was Jesus who was the supreme Righteous One, not himself. God, having raised Jesus from the dead, proved that being “hung on a tree” in the form of a cross was not a curse as in the Old Testament tradition; rather, it was ultimate victory—the triumph of humility, the triumph of self-less love, the triumph of obedience to God, the triumph of relationship over religious observance (3:1-16). The Spirit of the Law was about relationship. Observance of the Law was to be about love and fidelity. But human weakness and lack of understanding turned the Law into something it was never meant to be–an idol, a stumbling block, an obstacle to right relationship.
The Rule of Paul would have been much shorter than the Rule of Benedict. Perhaps it could be summed up this way: “Just one thing, forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I consider my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus…[O]ur citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself” (4:13-14, 20-21).
So, with St. Paul and St. Benedict, I offer this bit of guidance: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious…think about these things” (4:8). Do these things and the God of peace will be with you. (4:9). Do not be anxious about the misdeeds of those who belong to the world. God’s got this.
By Sister Therese Haydel, OSB