SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET, BISHOP (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Be imitators of God.

Sometimes it’s nice to be told what to do. Stay out of the rain. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Brush your teeth. It simplifies things. God knows that; he even gave us the Ten Commandments to teach us how to live. But when St. Paul tells us to imitate God, it might not seem quite so simple. What is the “silly talk” we should avoid? When does wanting things cross the line into the kind of greed that is idolatry? What does God think about watching Looney Toons cartoons or collecting books?

If you want to know how to imitate God, examine what Scripture reveals about him. He is kind and compassionate, self-sacrificing, loving, and forgiving. Those are qualities you can imitate. And look at Jesus. He is God in the flesh. So observe his actions in the Gospels and imitate those. In today’s Gospel, for example, Luke tells us that Jesus cared deeply about the people around him. He was even willing to stop his teaching in the synagogue on a Sabbath to minister to a woman who had been suffering for eighteen years (Luke 13:11-13). Can we be just as flexible? Just as compassionate?

Well, we know that the more time we spend with someone, the more we start imitating them and becoming like them. We take on their characteristics as we watch what they do and how they do it. The same is true with the Lord. Spend time in his presence. Maybe imagine Jesus sitting next to you. What is he doing? Is he reminding you of a time when you experienced his forgiveness? What is he saying to you? Perhaps that his kindness will carry you through difficult times. How does he sound in your thoughts? Gentle or compassionate? Then begin to imitate him.

Do you know someone you could show Jesus’ compassion to, even if it means interrupting your usual schedule? Could you stifle your rant and instead speak kindly the next time someone annoys you? Look for such opportunities to imitate God in your family, at work and school, or even in line at the post office.

It’s difficult, isn’t it? The pressures of everyday life can stretch your “godlikeness” to the max. Yet God doesn’t make impossible demands. He will help you.

Go and try to do as God does.

“Holy Spirit, help me to be an imitator of God today.”

Ephesians 4:32 – 5:8
Psalm 1:1-4, 6
Luke 13:10-17