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Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Philippians 3:17—4:1
Saint Paul tells the Philippians:
“Join in imitating me.”
At first, this sounds surprising.
Why does Paul not simply say:
Imitate Christ?
Because the Philippians could not see Christ.
But they could see Paul.
They could see how he lived, how he suffered, how he preached, how he loved, and how he carried the Cross.
Paul was not asking them to admire his personality.
He was saying:
Look at my life, because my life is trying to follow Christ.
To the Corinthians he said it clearly:
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
This is how faith is earned.
Not only from books.
But from people.
A child learns by imitating.
A student learns by imitating.
That is why role models matter.
The question is:
Whom do we imitate?
Every age has its idols.
In the 1950s, many admired Elvis Presley.
In the 1960s, Beatlemania swept across the world.
Today, fans can follow singers, actors, athletes, influencers, or political leaders with almost religious devotion.
There is nothing wrong with admiring talent.
But admiration becomes dangerous when it shapes our heart, our values, our desires, and our way of life.
Paul warns the Philippians that some people live as enemies of the Cross of Christ.
They may not openly hate Christ.
But their lives move in the opposite direction.
The Cross teaches self-giving.
They live for self-satisfaction.
The Cross teaches humility.
They live for glory.
The Cross teaches obedience to God.
They live only for earthly things.
This warning is not only for others.
It is for us.
We must ask:
Who is forming my heart?
Whose voice do I follow?
Whose values have entered my life?
Can anyone look at me and say:
“I have seen Christ in you”?
On April 2, 2005, Saint John Paul II was dying.
Many people followed the news of his last hours.
When his death was announced, crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square and cried:
“Santo subito!”
“Make him a saint now!”
Why?
Because many had seen in him a man who belonged to Christ.
His life, his suffering, his prayer, his courage, and his death pointed beyond himself.
For one young man, that witness changed everything.
He left behind his plans, entered the seminary, left his country and family, and went to Asia to preach the Gospel.
Paul then reminds the Philippians of their true identity:
“Our citizenship is in heaven.”
It means we live here, but we do not belong completely here.
So success, money, status, nation, party, and public approval cannot be our highest good.
Christ is our measure.
Christ is our model.
Christ is our destination.
Today, Paul asks us:
Will my life help someone else see Christ more clearly?
Our world needs witnesses.
People whose lives quietly say:
Follow Christ.
Biblical Reflections on the Gospel of Mark
Year of Mark - Get it from Amazon
Scripture Attribution
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition,
copyright © 1989, 1993
the Division of Christian Education of the National Council
of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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© 2025 Krakus.
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