The Peace of God (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

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The final chapter of Philippians is the most practical section of the epistle, where St. Paul takes the principles of the preceding chapters and distills them into practical life advice for the Philippian Christians. Here, he draws from his experiences of being persecuted for the Gospel, and his present imprisonment in Rome, in order to show them how to live with joy no matter what they are going through.

The two main elements which he promotes in this passage are prayer (vv. 6-7) and meditation (vv. 8-9). By prayer, he means constant communion with God, praising Him, giving thanks for His many gifts, and asking Him for good gifts. He tells readers not to be anxious, since they have a loving Father who is ready to supply their every need, if only they would ask. In this, Paul mirrors Christ’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, wherein He states:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

The second element, meditation, consists in orienting one’s thought life towards the good, true and beautiful. By filling one’s mind with these things, no space is left for negative, corrupting and impure thoughts. The key to doing this is to learn Scripture and think about their meaning, and how they apply to our lives. The Psalms are replete with exhortations to meditate upon God’s Word:

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes! (Psalm 119:9-12)

If one focuses on prayer and meditation, they will experience “the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.” This peace doesn’t depend on one’s circumstances, as one learns that God is enough, and will be with believers in every circumstance of their lives.

J. Luis Dizon