Consequences of the Imitation of Jesus
When a soul strives to imitate Jesus Christ in humility and confidence, it obtains from him the grace the destruction of all its deformities and shortcomings. Then, Jesus enters that soul, … lives there and applies to it the merits of his most holy works. (OOCC, III, p. 37)
The task of imitation of Jesus on a daily basis is demanding and it involves a continuous struggle. Sometimes it can be overwhelming on the part of the person attempting to imitate Jesus. While recognizing the difficulties involved, St. Vincent Pallotti assures that Christ, who is present with the person in the struggle, would offer all the assistance required. According to him, when a person strives to imitate Jesus in hope and humility, Jesus makes himself present to that person, destroys all his deformities, and at the same time effects in him the merits of his holy works. St. Vincent believed that God is capable of making great saints out of sinners. By his presence in the person, Jesus destroys every imperfection and gives his perfection instead. As a result, the spiritual state of the person becomes a continuous movement from the state of ‘death-to-oneself’ to that of ‘life- in-Christ’. When a person lives out this attitude with an open-handed willingness to be guided by Jesus, every activity of the human person becomes enriched and made holy by Jesus.
Am I discouraged by the difficulties I face in my imitation of Jesus? Do I believe in Jesus’ promise of being with me in my struggles? Do I allow Jesus to make his presence in me and help me to move from the state of ‘death-to-oneself’ to that of ‘life-in-Christ’?
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15: 13)