[The following homily was given by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde on April 6. It is reprinted here in two parts.]
The Imitation of Christ is more than the name of a much-revered book on Christian spirituality; it is, in fact, the summary and goal of every disciple's life. After all, from Baptism onwards, each person, baptized into Christ Jesus, is expected to think, speak and act like Christ, to be Christ-like. In the Opening Prayer of today's Mass, this is precisely what we asked: “Father, help us to be like Christ your Son, who loved the world and died for our salvation. Inspire us by his love, guide us by his example".”
Imitating Christ, tracing in our lives the outlines of His: what does this mean? To imitate Christ necessarily implies to relive His Dying and Rising, to relive the basic elements of the Christian paradox: dying to self leads to living for God and others. “Christian spirituality consists in the living out in experience, throughout the whole course of our lives, of the death-resurrection of Christ, that we have been caught up into by baptism” (The Spiritual Renewal of the American Priesthood, p. 3).
This basic reality of our spiritual lives, this essential way of living our discipleship each day, is re-examined and renewed during the season of Lent, the Church's annual retreat. As St. Leo the Great reminds us: “"what the Christian should be doing at all times should be done now with greater care and devotion".” (Sermon 6 on Lent). Yes, if imitating Christ is our goal each day, during Lent, we must seek to do so even more intensely by prayer, fasting and almsgiving.
Moreover, as we draw nearer to reliving the mystery of Christ's Dying and Rising in Holy Week, which begins April 13th, we are committing ourselves to reproduce in our lives the Lord's Death and Resurrection. Today's liturgy, especially the scripture readings, focus our attention more clearly on this daily imitation of Christ.
Let us summarize the scriptures just proclaimed in our hearing. The eternal Son of God took up our human nature and became man in order to fulfill His Father's Will. And God the Father willed that through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the human race would be saved from sin and eternal death. God willed that the New Covenant, promised through Jeremiah the prophet in today's first reading, would be instituted by Christ's Dying and Rising. In order to be faithful to God's will, Jesus freely accepted suffering and death on the cross for our salvation. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “The desire to embrace his Father's plan of redeeming love inspired Jesus' whole life, for his redemptive passion was the very reason for his Incarnation” (no. 607).
It was not easy for Jesus in His human nature to fulfill God's Will and to accept suffering and death. Hear again what Jesus spoke in today's Gospel passage: “I am troubled now. Yet, what should I say? 'Father, save me from this hour? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour'".” Jesus realized that the only way to accomplish the Father's Will was through suffering and death. He used an example from the cycle of nature to illustrate what we now call the Christian paradox. “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit".And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” The author of the Letter to the Hebrews echoes this essential truth in today's second reading. “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
