September 30, 2015 - Wednesday

More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith. (Philippians 3:8-9 NABRE)

This mindset is not very modern! Writing to the congregation at Philippi about faith in God, Paul tells us he sought a relationship with Jesus above all else. Nothing this world offers was more important to him.

Paul considers knowing Jesus to be the supreme good. He considered Jesus to be the long-promised Christ who would save his people. Based on his education and training, then on his conversion experience, he knew Jesus to be the Lord of lords. Paul wanted only to, as he says, gain Christ. He wanted to be found in him. He sought a relationship with Jesus. And finally, he claims that any goodness he may have in God's eyes is because of his faith in Jesus.

To underscore his point, Paul tells us that not only did he accept losing everything, he considered everything to be rubbish! Nothing, even the good things we do on our own, he tells us, satisfies God unless we first have faith.


Today, I will ask the Holy Spirit to fill me with an even deeper faith and the desire for a renewed relationship with the Lord.


Saint Jerome, priest, Doctor of the Church, and patron of librarians, pray for us.