Today's first reading is from the most personal and attractive of all the letters of St Paul. He quotes one of the most beautiful early Christian poems that appear in the New Testament. The core of Paul's message to his beloved Philippians is about loving and imitating Jesus Christ. He puts himself forward as an example for them to follow. If that may sound a little proud and presumptuous of him, let's recall that the Christians of Philippi were his pride and joy - and they loved him too. He wanted them to be as completely devoted to Christ as he himself had learnt to become, to have 'the mind of Christ' in themselves. Paul's own whole desire in life was to be with Jesus, and nothing else counted for anything; not his intelligence, his learning, his past experience, or any of the things that people are proud of. So, he quotes this hymn about Jesus' attitude of humbleness and obedience to His Father, a hymn about the whole mystery of salvation, Jesus' life, suffering, death and resurrection into glory.

Followers of Christ, we go through the pattern of life He gave us, through the ups and downs and sufferings of life. We will die, too; but with Christ we shall also rise again. If Jesus really is the desire of our hearts, we will also learn to share the "mind" of Christ, to see things as He sees them, share His values, and be able to accept in joy the path of life that trusts wholly in God.