Today is Day 1 on my journey to joy. Did you print the free worksheet for this week as we read Chapter 1 of Philippians everyday this week? If not, go print it now. Not only do I purpose to read Chapter 1 everyday this week, I also intend to study it. I really want need, this Letter of Joy to sink deep and settle in.
Yesterday, I printed off a copy of Philippians Chapter 1. I have seen on Pinterest these beautiful Bibles specifically marked word by word. I LOVE looking at how people mark their Bibles and this way seems very intriguing and a little more in depth than just running the highlighter over entire sentences, verses or paragraphs.
Here’s how I started. I chose a color to use to mark anytime Jesus or God were mentioned in Philippians 1. I chose yellow because it reminds me of the sun–Son..get it? Next I chose blue to mark any mention of prayer, green lines above to mark “joy” or “rejoice.” I made an orange little megaphone to highlight anywhere St Paul makes mention of the Gospel. Of course I used a red heart to mark “love” “affection” or “heart.” I used a green swirly to mark the words “life” or “living,” and a grey book emblem to mark where St Paul mentions the “Word.” Pink was my choice to mark words of gratitude. I also underlined the word “all” with two blue lines.
Here’s the deal, it does not matter what color or symbols you use. Here’s the cool deal; every time I went through with a different color pencil to mark a new word or words, I re-read the whole chapter! So far that’s five times through the day. Right now I’m not necessarily reading for depth and that’s ok. What I have so far is a page that instantly draws my eyes and attention to a particular word set of words.
Here’s a verse that has caused me some consideration as I kept passing it…
“I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel…” †Philippians 1:12
I would like to think I’d be calling my family and friends “beloved” were I in Paul’s situation, when it reality it would probably more along the lines of “Hey y’all!! Help! I’m in prison here!!” And then, although I’d like to think I would be spiritually minded and try to relate my sufferings and trials to some greater good…I would probably complain…a lot.
But not Paul. He speaks with a fatherly affection…something I think he learned from intimate time spent with our Lord. I think that kind of selfless love can only come from lots of quality time spent in the presence of Love Himself. And his recognition of his suffering serving for the good for the Church…again, another totally selfless act.
So my first revelation in reading St Paul’s Letter of Joy…
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Angela Pea says
Joy exists EVERYWhereWhenOneNow, especially where selfishness does not!
Paul is my kind of person, the eternal Pollyanna Optimist. 🙂
Jenny says
I love your enthusiastic spirit!
Theresa says
Beautiful comment Michelle! I never realized that Paul’s letter is considered a *letter of joy* but now that I am reading it in that context, joy and happiness emanate from it.
I like your quote *joy exists where selfishness does not*…so profound really.
I struggle with all this. It’s hard to experience joy through depression and insomnia. Even interiorly, it feels just numb sometimes. I am praying my way through this letter because I struggle in this area.
Blessings~
Jenny says
I’m so pleased we are on this joy journey together.
Michelle says
Oh, how the memory of that time spent with Jesus must have been fresh in Paul’s mind and heart. No doubt, the Coming of the Holy Spirit was significant as well. We must remember that we too, in Confirmation, received that gift(s) ~ even if we were not fully aware of exactly what we were receiving at the time.
Tattoo’s are very popular these days. Everywhere I go, I see them on folks, and especially the young. Well, I have a couple of them too. Baptism and Confirmation. I pray that like Jesus, who “Grew in wisdom and stature”, I may also continue to grow in strength and ability to spread the Gospels with the life that I have been called to live out.
“The three sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders confer, in addition to grace, a sacramental character or seal by which the Christian shares in Christ’s priesthood and is made a member of the Church according to different states and functions. This configuration to Christ and to the Church, brought about by the Spirit, is indelible; it remains for ever in the Christian as a positive disposition for grace, a promise and guarantee of divine protection, and as a vocation to divine worship and to the service of the Church. Therefore these sacraments can never be repeated. ” CCC 1121
We are able to fully trust that these graces are at work in us always.
Praise God today!
Jenny says
Awesome insight Michelle!