Be Imitators Of Christ

𝐃𝐄𝐂. 𝟐𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈: 𝟏 𝐉𝐧 𝟐:𝟑-𝟏𝟏

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟗𝟔:𝟏-𝟑, 𝟓-𝟔 “𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐤 𝟐:𝟐𝟐-𝟑𝟓

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞: “𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.” (𝐯.𝟑𝟎) 

         The readings today present at least three very significant points leading to our understanding of what it is to be a Christian and John the Evangelist in his epistle in the first reading introduces the first point which partake of a guideline on how Christians must live.

         John’s epistle reminds us of our growing up days when in our report cards during our elementary grades and in our secondary or high school years, there is a box separate from the grades that refer to our conduct which corresponds to how we as pupils and students behaved then. As adults, our conduct reflects the way we live or our lifestyle.

         The evangelist whom Jesus loved made it clear that Christians “𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐬 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝” (𝟏 𝐉𝐧 𝟐:𝟔). A tall order indeed but we will be gauged by how we conduct ourselves amidst the pressures of a technologically advanced environment that has pushed into the background every trace of good manners and right conduct that we learned in school.

         Today, we live in a world in which we desire to have what others have. All you have to do is go to the cyber market in malls or in any commercial center and you will see that the most active section is where trading in communication gadgets such as mobile cellular phones are prevalent. The young are drowning in a sea of want at an early age – wanting this and that.

         The way we conduct ourselves especially towards the poor will demonstrate whether we are authentic Christian disciples of Christ. And the presentation of Jesus at the Temple should serve as a constant reminder that Jesus was born of poor human parents. The Gospel shows that Mary brought a pair of young pigeons instead of a lamb. The offering of two pigeons instead of a lamb was referred to in those days as “the offering of the poor.”

         It was this offering of the poor that Mary and Joseph brought and this should remind us that Jesus was born into an ordinary home where there were no luxuries and into a family who knew of the difficulties of making ends meet.

         It is in this context that our Church requires Christians to be one with the poor not only to shell out a fraction of what are in our wallets but to also empathize with the poor. To give is not at all bad. But how we feel towards the poor is what makes the difference.

            The second point was the attitude of Simeon when he saw Jesus being presented at the Temple. What Simeon said in 𝐋𝐤 𝟐:𝟐𝟗-𝟑𝟐 was referred to as the last of three great Canticles of the New Testament (the other two were the Magnificat known as the Canticle of Mary and the Benedictus known as the Canticle of Zechariah).

         In his Canticle, Simeon simply declared that God could take his life now that he has seen and recognized the Messiah. And in 𝐋𝐤 𝟐:𝟑𝟒 Simeon lays down the paradox related to the coming of Jesus – that many will rise which means that those who will accept him will be liberated from their old selves and be born into a new life and be assured of an eternal life in heaven. To live a new life is to walk as Jesus did (𝐈 𝐉𝐧 𝟐:𝟔).

         In the same way, many will fall, which refers to those who will reject his offer of salvation. We must understand, however, that God did not come to condemn or to judge us but to save us (𝐉𝐧 𝟏𝟐:𝟒𝟕). If we stand condemned, it is because we have condemned ourselves by not listening and keeping his words. We cannot be neutral when it comes to our faith. It’s either we are with Jesus or we are with the world.

         The third point is what we pray as the fourth Joyful Mystery – the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple which was in fulfillment of the Jewish tradition. What was unknown at that time was that the coming of Jesus has moved the place of worship from the Temple into the hearts of men.

         Through the coming of Jesus as the incarnated Son of God and through his saving death, resurrection, and ascension we have been turned into living temples of his Holy Spirit: “𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐭? 𝐈𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧; 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝’𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞.” (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫. 𝟑:𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟕)        

         In this fifth day of the Christmas Octave, we must recognize that we have become God’s temple and that his Holy Spirit dwells within us. It is the commingling of our spirits with the Spirit of God that gives us the strength to do all things that Christ tells us to do because it is only in the doing that we will be known if we are with him or against him.

         At the end of the Gospel passage, Simeon blessed Mary and Joseph, and he prophesied about the destiny of Jesus and the pain she would experience. Again, Simeon’s prophecy introduces another paradox – the blessedness of Mary being the Mother of the Son of God but which will also become a sword that will pierce her heart with the death of Jesus on the cross.

         This is the same with us. There will be great joy in following Jesus, a joy that will give us the boldness to endure whatever sorrow and pain we experience in life. And like Mary, let us clothe ourselves with the joy of a life that is fully abandoned to His divine providence in faith.

         This is the lesson of the Gospel and we must draw on our faith to help us understand that God sent Jesus so that his divinity will flow to all of humanity and that through Christ we are given the opportunity to share in His own divinity. In other words, our calling as disciples is not just to obey and follow Christ but to become like Christ. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘋𝘦𝘤. 29, 2025)