Following the series on Saint Joan of Arc and two texts from our archive of biblical meditations, I would now like to turn to the reflection on another letter from the New Testament. It is the Letter to the Church in Philippi. It comes from Saint Paul, the beloved Apostle to whom we owe so much regarding the spread of the Gospel. He was an untiring worker in the vineyard of His Lord and even labored more than the other Apostles, as he himself testifies (cf. 1 Cor 15:10).
Since my conversion, I have held this holy Apostle in great affection. Many elements come together that deeply impress me and awaken great gratitude. First, there is his extraordinary conversion—from a persecutor of Christ to a herald of the message of salvation. I am moved by the way he placed his life entirely under the obedience of Christ. Furthermore, through the perseverance he shows in proclaiming the Gospel and building up the churches, he is a great role model. We know from his own words what heavy burdens he had to bear (2 Cor 11:23–27), and we are touched by how great his love for the Lord was, enabling him to endure all this and not give up.