Life in Imitation of Jesus
God has given his divine Son to us so that we can imitate him, and become similar to him as much as possible. (OOCC, III, pp. 127- 128; GIL, XXIII, p. 87)
The mystery and power of the person of Jesus deeply touched the life of St. Vincent Pallotti. He considered Jesus the true model of his Christian living. He knew well that, as a Christian, his life must be lived in imitation of Jesus. St. Vincent understood that the call of Jesus to be his disciple implied that every Christian must have the readiness to accept the path Jesus walked in his life. For St. Vincent, a Christian could not live his life in the way he wished, for the name ‘Christian’ he bore implied that the life of Jesus became central to his everyday living. Thus, St. Vincent accepted the centrality of Jesus in his life. Whatever he did - whether it pertained to his personal life, his relationship with others or his diverse apostolic endeavors - was done keeping in mind the way Jesus would have acted in those situations and circumstances. He wished that the thoughts, feelings and actions of Jesus would permeate his thoughts, feelings and actions, so that he would be able to live his life in imitation of Jesus. St. Vincent prayed that the life of Jesus would become his meditation, his study and the splendor of the Church in him. Living every moment of his life in imitation of Jesus made St. Vincent give his life generously to the Lord and to the people whom he encountered.
Do I accept Jesus as the model of my Christian living? Do I acknowledge the centrality of Jesus in my life? Do I allow the thoughts, feelings and actions of Jesus to permeate those of mine?
Whatever your task, work heartily … knowing that … you are serving the Lord Christ. (Col. 3: 23 – 24)