Dear friends in Christ; today, as we celebrate this Mass, we remember the great mystery of God’s love, who in the fullness of time became one of us. God became man, taking on our humanity to draw us into divine life. Saint Paul’s words to the Philippians echo through the ages: “Brothers and sisters: Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus.” This call is an invitation to embrace Christ’s humility, a humility that reveals God’s greatness and His love.
The hymn Paul shares in his letter to the Philippians speaks of Jesus as God, who did not cling to His divine privileges but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant. This kenosis – this self-emptying – marks the profound humility of Christ, who assumed the lowliest position, even unto death on a cross. Through this obedience, God exalted Him, bestowing upon Him a name above every name, so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” By humbling Himself, Jesus showed us the way of true greatness, a path of love that calls us to consider others as our equals and to serve them.
Paul’s message to the Philippians and to us today is clear: if we truly seek Christ, we must imitate His humility and self-giving love. It is only by recognizing the dignity of every person and loving them as God loves that we reflect Christ’s own heart. Jesus became “like us in all things but sin,” sharing in our human joys and sufferings, our limitations and hopes. In this way, He teaches us that love requires us to put aside our own ambitions, to “die” to selfishness so that others may live.
Pope Francis says in his recent encyclical, Dilexit Nos, “The heart of Christ is ‘ecstasy’, openness, gift and encounter. In that heart, we learn to relate to one another in wholesome and happy ways, and to build up in this world God’s kingdom of love and justice. Our hearts, united with the heart of Christ, are capable of working this social miracle.”
In the Eucharist we celebrate today, we partake in the divine life Christ offers through the blood and water flowing from his pierced heart. This banquet of the Kingdom, the eternal meal, reminds us that God’s love is inclusive, extending to the poor, the humble, the outsider. As Jesus gathered all to His table, we too are invited to welcome others with open hearts, seeing in each one the image of God.
May Our Lady of Guadalupe help us live lives that reflect the sentiments of Christ, who served, sacrificed, and loved without limit. Through Him, may we be transformed, as Paul exhorts, from the inside out – so that in humility and unity, we live the true spirit of Christ’s love, bringing all to the fullness of God’s life.
