I’m about to make a very attractive and joyful audio for me to make with you that can be entitled a couple of ways, but basically: Philippians 4 as spiritual warfare, or as armor for spiritual warfare, or as a way of living. [Laughter] And I would say that Philippians 4 is for me the most—how do I say? For me the most inspiring chapter of all the epistles. As I recall, on Fr. Thomas Hopko’s tombstone is a quote from Philippians 4:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice! Let all men know your forbearance; the Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything in prayer and supplication, let the requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Recently Fr. John Parker at St. Tikhon’s asked me to teach four classes Thursdays simultaneously. I just finished the last one. Each class was three hours each. The last class, for homework I gave them to read Philippians 4. Now, I wasn’t coming back, so there’s nowhere to correct the homework. And I told them, “I’m assigning this because I care about you. It’s as simple as that.” I don’t doubt some will read it and some won’t. [Laughter] That’s sort of the way of life.

Okay. I intended during the class to discuss this some, why it’s important to me, but, frankly, I didn’t have time. Four classes were entitled “Active Listening” and then whatever else I wanted to talk about, based on my time with the seminarians of St. Vladimir’s. So I talked about prayer and pastoral concerns, current concerns such as same-sex issues and transgendering and such topics, difficult topics, as registered sex offenders and so on.

Back to Philippians 4. I’m a quantitative psychologist. I deal with logismoi, the cognitions, the thoughts, of those people who seek me for counseling. And for me it parallels what the Desert Fathers say so often about thoughts. In Philippians 4, it tells us exactly what to think about. Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious—if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Again: “Think about these things,” not the front of the newspaper and the evening news and whatever else might be on TV. No. Don’t think about the problems in the church; think about these things: true, honorable, just, pure. It’s a stretch, but it is also possible.

I’m now going to play for us a song from Abouna’s Angels, I think seven sisters, all daughters of an Antiochian priest in Canada. Just a beautiful song. So here’s that song.

My spirit seeks thee early in the night watches. For thy commandments are a light upon the earth. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Learn righteousness, you that dwell upon the earth. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Zeal shall seize upon an untaught people, and now fire shall devour the adversaries! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

That song really does help us understand things in a whole new way.

Another quote from Philippians 4 that means a great deal to me, that I say pretty much every day. “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Well, at my age it doesn’t seem like I can do very much, frankly, but according to what God says through his holy word in Philippians 4, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Another quote of mine that I love from Philippians 4: “And my God will satisfy your every need, according to his riches, in glory in Christ Jesus.” “My God will satisfy every need.” Well, I tell the Lord, “Hey, I’m an old man, 86 years old. I need stamina. I need pretty much a nap, short or long, every afternoon. I need memory. I need many, many things.” At this moment, do I feel like I lack anything? Truthfully, no. I get time for my nap, I get time, plenty of stamina, to drive the two hours to St. Tikhon’s and have lovely students to teach, and a great deal of good is being done at St. Tikhon’s, and teach a three-hour class and so on, because “my God will satisfy your every need according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

So I’m going to— That’s about all I can say right now for Philippians 4 as a life guide. That would be a good title for this podcast. But I would recommend, for myself and for you, within the next 24 hours, to read or listen to Philippians 4 as a life guide. Also in the chapter are comments on rejoicing and anxiety. Just a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful chapter. That’s as far as I can go.