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Year A: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Second Reading: Philippians 2: 1-11 Writing to his friends in Philippi, St Paul focuses their attention on the person of Christ - the One who gives us our common purpose - our common mind. The difficulty that so often faces the Church is division. All too often, people decide that their way is best - that, somehow, they have a monopoly on the truth and spirit of grace. When this happens, they can set themselves apart - or worse above the rest of the community. St Paul’s advice is wise - stop looking at your own selves but see all our lives as set in the life of Christ and the shared Spirit. It is not appropriate for people to compete one against another in the Church. It is wrong for some to act out of conceit that they have been especially privileged by God. Far better to put on the attitude of Jesus himself. Here we have One whose state was divine - equal with God. Of all human beings that ever lived, only He has the right to claim special privilege - to see Himself as better than the rest of humanity. But, St Paul uses a hymn that was probably used in the early Church which reminds his readers that, though the state of Jesus was indeed divine and in equality with God, Jesus emptied Himself for humanity - becoming human and worse - or better - was obedient even to the most barbaric and humiliating death - death on the cross. It was because of this self-emptying and obedience that God has raised Him high - and the One who was despised and rejected of men is now the One before whom the whole of Creation shows in homage. Our dignity does not lie in lording it over others - claiming a special place in the Kingdom... rather it is to follow the example of Jesus - listening to others and valuing them even above ourselves... Jesus had a right to claim supremacy over humanity but did not use it. It ill becomes us to do anything but follow His example. What does it mean for me?
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