Think About These Things

It’s rare that one of the Sunday mass readings really resonates with me, but today the epistle leaped out and (gently and mercifully) took me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. The passage in question is Philippians 4:6-9, and it says this:

Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.

The first half states my practice of prayer in a nutshell: to give all my needs to God, as well as the needs of everyone I love. That’s not my entire prayer life, but it’s a good piece of it. I may have more to say about that later.

But the part that grabbed me is verse 8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” If I just tack “and then write about them” on the end, that describes this blog and my life as a Dominican.

I think I’m going to adopt Phillipians 4:8 as the official motto of this blog, because it describes exactly what I’m trying to do: not to focus on the problems and the pitfalls and all those AWFUL things those AWFUL people over there are doing (for whatever value of “things” and “people” gets your goat) but to focus on things that are good, true, and beautiful: to think about them, and reflect on them, and to share that with my readers.

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photo credit: Andrew Morrell Photography via photopin cc