Jesus: The Divine Model
Jesus Christ … the God-man is our example, model and practical rule of the totality of our internal and external life. (OOCC, III, pp. 36-37)
Jesus Christ, the Father’s gift of love to humankind, by enkindling in every person the gift of faith, commences the process of a person’s sanctification. In this journey of becoming God-like, none other than Jesus who came from the Father can be the true model, because Jesus, the God-man, is the perfect image of the invisible God. In the life of Jesus, we see the very life of God concretely manifested. One can understand the life of Jesus as he was a person like any other human being except sin. Jesus knows human struggles and temptations because he felt, lived and worked as any man does. Jesus lived a human life so he can teach how to live as a human being. Therefore, imitating Jesus would never be frightening. Having understood the life of Jesus concretely, one can learn from his life how to live in order to become God-like. Hence, Jesus, the God-man is the best model for every Christian. Having understood this truth, St. Vincent Pallotti lived his life in perfect imitation of Jesus, the True Model of Christian living. St. Vincent lived the ideal of Christian perfection, that is, “Be perfect as the Heavenly Father is perfect” in its totality, in imitation of Jesus, the Divine Model.
Does the life of Jesus inspire me to live a life of godliness? Do I gain the strength to cope with my life’s struggles and problems from the everyday and human life of Jesus? To what extent do I live the ideal of Christian perfection?
For we do not have a high priest, who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. (Heb. 4: 15)