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Office Of Readings | Week 26, Friday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Commentary Of Saint Ambrose On The Letter To The Philippians | Be Joyful In The Lord Always
‘Rejoice in the Lord Jesus.’
Saint Ambrose’s reflection on Philippians 4:4–6 centres upon the Apostle Paul’s call to rejoice in the Lord always. Written in the context of Ambrose’s pastoral work in Milan during the late fourth century, this passage draws together joy, moderation, and trust in God as essential expressions of Christian life.
For Ambrose, joy is not a fleeting emotional state but a spiritual disposition rooted in God’s love. He contrasts the ‘joys of this world’ with those that ‘are according to the Lord’s will’, distinguishing between pleasure that ends in emptiness and the joy that arises from faith and obedience. Earthly satisfaction, however legitimate, remains unstable; divine joy endures because it participates in God’s own constancy.
Ambrose develops Paul’s command to rejoice as a summons to perseverance. True joy, he writes, grows through the practice of the commandments and the continual turning of the heart toward God. In this way, joy is not opposed to discipline but rather its fruit. The one who learns moderation and self-control discovers freedom from anxiety and gains a peace that reflects the presence of God.
The phrase ‘Let your moderation be known to all men’ serves as the hinge of the passage. Ambrose interprets moderation (modestia in Latin) as the visible form of holiness—a virtue that governs speech, conduct, and relationships. Such moderation, he explains, must be evident ‘in the sight of men’ as a witness to the Gospel. This is an important pastoral emphasis: holiness is not private or hidden, but embodied and social, offering an example that invites others to faith.
The next statement, ‘The Lord is near; have no anxiety,’ anchors Ambrose’s theology of confidence. God’s nearness is both spiritual and practical: he ‘knows what you need before you ask him’ and ‘does not delay in giving what he has promised’. This assurance echoes the Psalms, which proclaim that ‘the Lord is close to the broken-hearted,’ and also anticipates the monastic and contemplative traditions that will later make divine proximity central to their spirituality.
Ambrose’s pastoral concern is particularly evident in his warning against complaint in times of suffering. Rather than grumbling, the faithful are to make their petitions ‘with thanksgiving’. Gratitude, even in trial, transforms anxiety into trust and affliction into an opportunity for deeper faith. In this, Ambrose reveals the practical wisdom of a bishop who understood both the inner struggle of his flock and the healing power of prayer.
The entire passage presents a coherent pattern for Christian living:
- Rejoice in God’s presence rather than in worldly success.
- Live with moderation, allowing holiness to be seen in daily conduct.
- Trust in God’s nearness, which dispels fear and sustains hope.
- Pray with thanksgiving, transforming need into communion.
Ambrose’s reading of Philippians thus offers not a single command but a way of life—one in which joy, self-discipline, and peace converge in the continual awareness that ‘the Lord is near.’
A Reading From The Commentary Of Saint Ambrose On The Letter To The Philippians | Be Joyful In The Lord Always
Dear brethren, God’s love is calling us to the joys of eternal happiness for the salvation of our souls. You have just listened to the reading from the Apostle in which he says: Rejoice in the Lord always. The joys of this world lead to eternal misery, but the joys that are according to the Lord’s will, bring those who persevere in them to joys that are enduring and everlasting. The Apostle therefore says: Again I say: rejoice.
He urges us to find ever increasing joy in God and in keeping his commandments. The more we try in this world to give ourselves completely to God our Lord by obeying his commands, the greater will be our happiness in the life to come, and the greater the glory that will be ours in the presence of God.
Let your moderation be known to all men. That is to say, your holiness of life must be evident, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men. It must give an example of moderation and self-control to all your contemporaries on earth and serve also as a memorial of goodness before God and men.
The Lord is near; have no anxiety. The Lord is always near to all who call upon his help with sincerity, true faith, sure hope, and perfect love. He knows what you need, even before you ask him. He is always ready to come to the aid of all his faithful servants in every need. There is no reason for us to be in a state of great anxiety when evils threaten; we must remember that God is very near us as our protector. The Lord is at hand for those who are troubled in heart, and he will save those who are downcast in spirit. The tribulations of the just are many, and the Lord will rescue them from them all. If we do our best to obey and keep his commandments, he does not delay in giving us what he has promised.
But in every prayer and entreaty let your petitions be made known to God, with thanksgiving. In time of trouble we must not grumble or be downhearted; God forbid! We must rather be patient and cheerful, giving thanks to God always in everything.
Christian Prayer With Jesus Christ
God of peace and joy,
you are near to all who call upon you in faith.
Teach us to rejoice always in your presence,
to live with moderation and integrity before others,
and to place our trust in your providence.
In moments of trial,
keep us from anxiety and complaint;
fill our hearts with gratitude,
that we may find in you the joy that does not fade.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Saint Ambrose (c. 339–397) – Bishop of Milan and one of the four great Latin Fathers of the Church. A theologian, preacher, and mentor to Saint Augustine, Ambrose combined doctrinal depth with pastoral insight.
Philippians 4:4–6 – A passage from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Philippians urging believers to rejoice in the Lord, to let their moderation be known, and to be free from anxiety through prayer and thanksgiving.
Moderation (Latin modestia) – A virtue denoting self-control, gentleness, and balance. For Ambrose, it expresses holiness in outward conduct.
‘The Lord is near’ – A phrase that signifies both Christ’s spiritual presence with believers and the expectation of his return.
Thanksgiving – Gratitude offered to God in all circumstances; a central element of Christian prayer, linked to joy and peace.
Tribulations of the just – A biblical expression (cf. Psalm 34:19) referring to the trials faced by the righteous, through which God’s faithfulness is revealed.
Petition – Prayer that presents one’s needs before God, made in the confidence of his care and love.
Obedience – In Ambrose’s teaching, the act of aligning the will with God’s commands, seen as the path to true happiness.
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