What’s the Big Deal About Philippi?
September 16, 2026
Fr. John Riccardo
Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a).
I was blessed to visit Philippi for the first time this past May. Though I had been on several pilgrimages in the footsteps of Saint Paul before, I had never walked among the ruins of this location. In the weeks since I visited, I have found myself reading and studying more and more about the history of this place — a history that proves extremely important in better understanding the letter Paul writes to the small Christian community there.
Whenever we read a letter, whether in the New Testament, or any other letter for that matter, it’s imperative to understand at least some basics about the audience. So, what’s the big deal about Philippi and the Philippians?
Philippi was the site of one of the most significant battles from antiquity. It was here, in 42 BC, that Cassius and Brutus, the ones who killed Julius Caesar on the Ides of March, were avenged by Marc Antony and Octavius, the future Caesar Augustus. It then became a Roman colony, populated with a large number of retired Roman Legionaries. Philippi stirred the memories and patriotism of the Romans much the way Gettysburg does for those who live in the United States. If you’ve ever been to Gettysburg then you have a sense of how the Romans thought of Philippi.
Additionally, Philippi was a city devoid of a Jewish community. There was no synagogue in Philippi, which means there were less than ten Jewish men. This is why Luke tells us in Acts 16 that Paul went outside the gate of the city on the Sabbath to a river where he hoped to find some people gathered in prayer. There, of course, he met Lydia, who became the first European Christian and a dear partner with Paul — but that’s for another time.
These things — the significance of the place for Roman history, the large presence of retired Roman soldiers, and the lack of a Jewish presence — prove profoundly important when trying to better understand Paul’s letter. What especially has been striking me these past few months is how Paul consistently uses military imagery in this letter, and absolutely no athletic imagery, as he does elsewhere in his letters. In using this imagery, in the words of one scholar, Paul is demonstrating “that the courageous sharing of the faith will always result in victory for the one who proclaims Christ. This victory is guaranteed through the unsurpassable abilities of the supreme general, Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross and whose resurrection is portrayed as a military victory and whose exultation by God the Father acknowledges Christ as the victorious general.”
In just two weeks, we in ACTS XXIX are hosting an event entitled “The Jesus Conference: Mobilizing the Church for the World He Loves.” Some 1000 people will join us October 2-4, not to listen to some talks but to be mobilized for the greatest mission one could ever imagine: to rescue, renew and transform the human family into the family of God. In a military context, to mobilize is to assemble and make ready troops for action. To do this troops need to know a number of things, of course. Who is (and is not) the enemy; what is the objective; and more. But in the Christian context, perhaps more than anything right now, we need to remember Who is sending us. Perhaps men especially need to be reminded that the One who is sending us is the greatest of generals, who has won the greatest of battles against the greatest of enemies, and is truly undefeatable. This is part of the reason why Paul writes the way he writes to a community that is almost indelibly marked by the Roman Legion and deeds of military heroism.
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
September 2026
For our mission with the priests, chancery staff, and lay leaders of the Diocese of Fall River, that our time together would be an occasion of genuine refreshment and renewal, and that the Holy Spirit would strengthen all who gather for the mission entrusted to them.
For the release of Fr. John’s new book, The Resistance: God’s Plan for Renewing the Human Family, that the Lord would use it to awaken hearts to the reality of the mission entrusted to the Church and that readers would be equipped to live out this mission with ever greater freedom, hope and courage.
For the planning and preparation of the Jesus Conference, that the Holy Spirit would pour out a fresh anointing upon all who are planning, serving, and attending, so that Jesus would be encountered, known, and loved anew and that we would be mobilized for mission.
For the more than 200 religious communities who faithfully intercede for ACTS XXIX, that the Lord would richly bless and reward them for their hidden and generous prayer, and grant them renewed joy and fruitfulness in their own vocations.