"As Christians", he said, "we know how important it is to use Jesus Christ as our model. There have been many books written on the subject. We've all probably heard of My Imitation Of Christ by Thomas à Kempis." Many early Christians, he explained, thought that Jesus was only God, and wasn't really human, but He was fully human, and lived a fully human life. It's why the Christian walk begins with imitating Christ. "The more we are like him," he went on, "the more human we will be. To be fully human is to imitate Christ, and NOT to give excuses as to why we're "messing up"."
Until last night, I forgot that I had a copy of this book, one of those pocket-sized books with the super-thin tissue pages that you have to highlight with a colored pencil. I'll be locating that book rightly. Deacon provided us with a list twelve traits of Jesus and some scripture verses for our private study and reflection during the next few weeks, along with these questions to consider:
Which of these traits do I admire in others?
The lack of which traits in others upsets me?
Which of these traits do I need more?
Which of these is my strongest trait?
Twelve Traits of Jesus Christ
- Forgiveness: Lk 6:37, Mt 6:14
- Authority: Mt 1:22; Jn 16
- Humility: Mt 18:4
- Compassion: Stands out in Christ's ministry
- Generosity: A loving response to others needs
- Love: Jn 13:34; Jn 15:9; Jn 23:34
- Purpose: Jn 10:10
- Patience: Poise, inner calmness, confidence, quiet endurance
- Prayerfulness: Lk 18:1
- Faith: Mk 5:34, Lk 7:50; Mt 8:12; Mt 21:22
- Courage: Ro 8:31
- Receptivity: Like Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Magi, the Shepherds
2 comments:
Loved Deacon Ron's talk. Very inspirational on so many different levels. Have so much to think about in the weeks ahead and these will come in very handy. Totaly need that "GREAT SPIRITUAL DIRECTION"
yeay...everyone should have a Deacon Ron in their lives. We're blessed, because we have two!!!
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