Let us put on the armor of righteousness

On Monday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Philippians (1: 12-26) entitled "I long to be with Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is from a letter to the Philippians by Saint Polycarp, bishop and martyr. Saint Polycarp (c. AD 69–155) was the bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor and one of the earliest Christian leaders whose life connects the Church directly with the generation of the Apostles; ancient Christian tradition says he had known Saint John the Apostle. He is best known for his faithful pastoral leadership, his Letter to the Philippians, and especially his martyrdom. His life teaches that following Christ means remaining faithful to the Gospel in belief and conduct, loving and serving others, persevering through suffering, and valuing eternal union with Christ above even earthly life itself. Saint Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians, is one of the oldest Christian writings outside the New Testament and was addressed to the Christian community at Philippi, which had asked Polycarp for encouragement and guidance. His central message is that Christian faith must become a Christian way of life: those who truly believe in Christ must allow His grace to transform their conduct, faithfully preserve the teaching handed down by the Apostles, love and serve their neighbors, remain detached from money and worldly desires, and persevere with Christ so that they may share in His resurrection and eternal life. Saint Paul's Epistle to the Philippians is his warm and personal letter, while imprisoned in Rome around A.D. 60–62, to the Christian community at Philippi in Macedonia. Its primary teaching is that true Christian joy and peace come from union with Jesus Christ and remain possible even amid suffering, because believers are called to adopt the mind of Christ, who "emptied himself," humbly became obedient even to death on a cross, and was exalted by the Father. Taken together, today's two readings teach that Christ must become the greatest treasure of the Christian heart, and that longing for eternal union with Him should transform the way we live while we remain in this world. In our first reading from Philippians, Saint Paul expresses his deep desire to depart this life and be with Christ, yet recognizes that remaining alive gives him further opportunity to serve others and advance the Gospel; in our "treasure", from his letter to the same Christian community, Saint Polycarp urges believers to "put on the armor of righteousness" by living faithfully through prayer, holiness, charity, perseverance, and obedience to Christ. Together these readings teach that our hope of heaven should not make us withdraw from this life but transform how we live it: because Christ is our ultimate destination, we should use whatever time God gives us to become more like Him, serve others faithfully, and help lead them toward eternal life.