Today's first reading invites us, through an early Church hymn, to reflect on the self-emptying of Jesus. Paul himself may have composed the hymn, as he wrote this deeply spiritual Letter. On the contrary, it may have already been in use in the Church and Paul quotes it to put before this community the truth that the Christian life has its source and foundation in the mystery of the Incarnation: we are reconciled with God, because Jesus came to us as Immanuel, our Lord and Saviour, and died upon a cross for our redemption. As a Pharisee, Saul could not accept this idea of a crucified Messiah. But God's grace brought him to spend his life promoting the Gospel.

The opening lines of the hymn have given rise to much discussion. Some translations read "Your attitude must be Christ's." Perhaps, what Paul intended was: "Have this mind in you which was in Christ Jesus." Some commentators would then explain it to mean: You have received in Baptism the mind of Christ. So then, live your daily life according to the mind of Jesus. As an event, Baptism is past. But baptism as a Grace is never past: Each day of our Christian life, the grace of Baptism guides us and sanctifies all our thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes, helping us in all things, especially in all our relationships, to be more and more Christlike.