Philippians 3

A few questions to consider for Thursday morning in Philippians chapter 3:

1. Would you be more nervous standing next to a 3rd grader or next to the President of the United States?
2. After you have helped serve meals to the homeless, does it make you more or less inclined to do so again?
3. Where in the gospels does Jesus refer to a set of people as dogs?
4. What things do you consider as positives, as "gains," but which are really negative when compared to the Lord?
5. Did St. Thomas Aquinas ever get to this point, where he forgot about all his good work behind him and stretched forward to the prize?
6. Is it impossible to live the life of a great saint?

Let's dig into chapter 3 with a few of these questions.

Answers from final exam!

Some of the answers from the 1 Peter final exam:

3. What is an example of everyday spiritual sacrifice that a member of the royal priesthood can offer to God in this our day?
   Answers:
   1. Love one another.
   2. corporal works of mercy
   3. celebrate Mass
5. What is the most valuable lesson you learned from Peter in this letter?
   Answers:
   1. Evil happens that good may come out of it.
   2. Trust God.
   3. God the Father spoke to Peter directly.
   4. We are aliens in this world. We must work to keep away from earthly desires, wage war against the evil one, maintain good conduct, do good works and be Christ's feet, hands, eyes and ears.

Question 4 asked what Peter's examples were for being stewards of God's manifold grace. The options were

1. serving, with the strength that God Himself gives
2. figuring out calculus equations
3. going on a nice cruise to the Bahamas
4. retiring to Florida or Nordonia, Ohio

Curiously, no one selected options B, C or D. :)

Even though option B seems facetious, I include it as a serious point, that our covenant is available to little children, so it is not something that only an egghead scientist can savvy. It is simple enough for little ones to hold, yet lofty enough to rest the eloquent St. Thomas Aquinas. Good.