There is a Chinese proverb which says that life is a process of letting go or detachment.

We come into the world clinging, as is evidenced by a baby clinging to whatever is put into its hand, but at death we let go, as can be seen when the hand hangs open in death.

We see traces of this wisdom saying in today's second reading from Philippians, especially verses 6-11, which form part of an ancient New Testament hymn in praise of Christ: “ though he was in the form of God Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself ” (vv 6-7). In biblical studies concerning Christ (Christology), this is referred to as kenosis (“self-emptying”).

In the above text, St Paul reminds us that the coming of God into the world was an act of divine self-emptying: God left the heavens to “ assume the condition of a slave ” (v 7).

This self-emptying of God did not end when God became human; it continued throughout the life of Jesus, for instance, when he laboured at length and often in vain, hoping that his disciples would understand who he was and what was his mission.

He emptied himself in his tireless ministry to the poor and downtrodden as can be inferred from Mt 8:20: “ Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head .”

But above all, it is in his suffering and death that Jesus “empties himself” , dying with hands open on a dark mount called Calvary .

IMPLICATIONS FOR EUCHARIST

This self-emptying of God in Jesus has inescapable implications for us as we prepare for our Eucharistic Congress in October. To share in the Eucharist – to eat of the bread and drink of the cup – implies our consent to pattern our lives on the self-emptying example of Jesus.

We have to learn to let go over and over again in life so that new life may come. We must first let go of material things since these clutter the spiritual life. This is a challenge today since globalisation feeds our desire for material things.

But can we wear more than one pair of shoes at a time or drive more than one car at a time? So why the fuss over these transient blessings?

We have to let go on other levels too. We have to let go of our hurts which often leave us so bitter, vengeful and unloving. We have to let go of our children as they get older and especially when they get married and start their own families.

We have to let go of positions in life to which we have grown so accustomed, as when political parties seek new leadership so that they may find new life.

We have to let go of old ways of being Church, as when the liturgy changed radically after Vatican II so as to become incarnate in people's language and culture.

And we even have to let go of old notions of God more suited to our childhood so as to obtain a deeper and more biblical understanding of Him.

As we anticipate the climax of this Holy Year of the Eucharist, may we commit ourselves more fervently to Christ who emptied himself so that we might inherit the fullness of life.