Example of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for One’s Perfection
If you wish to walk along the road of perfection swiftly, follow Jesus, Mary, and Joseph continually, and try to imitate those heroic virtues they practiced so admirably in all circumstance of time and place. Intend to serve them in their house, and in their perilous journeys, but with love. (OOCC, X, pp. 51 - 52; STA, 227)
St. Vincent Pallotti constantly kept his eye on the progress he made in the path of perfection. He believed that to move fast on the road to perfection, a person must follow the example of biblical figures like Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The aspirant of perfection must become aware of the diverse life situations of these personalities, and the manner in which they responded to God’s invitations in their life. He must have the right knowledge of their heroic virtues and practice them in the context of his life. He must contemplate the lives of these saints and the various happenings in their lives, such as their life at home, their relationship with each other, their heroic deeds for God, the dangers they encountered in accomplishing the mission with which God had entrusted them, etc. Having meditated on these events, the seeker of perfection must emulate the spirit which moved them to do all such great deeds and make that spirit his own. He must avoid duplicating their action, but instead imitate the spirit that guided them and apply it to his own life. In this manner, St. Vincent constantly sustained his spiritual life and made it grow by the example and grace of the great biblical personalities.
Do I believe that the example of the great biblical personalities can sustain my spiritual life? Do I take the trouble to meditate on the lives of these saints in order to capture the spirit that directed them in their life? Do I imitate their spirit in the context of my life? Do I duplicate their actions without any reference to my historical context?
We earnestly desire each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of hope until the end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises. (Heb. 6:11-12)