“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” What a challenge Paul lays before us! Imitators of God—how can we possibly do that? Elsewhere Paul tries to put a human face on the goal, to bring it from an ethereal plane to the reality of daily living, as he calls the Corinthians to “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” (I Cor.11:1) Now, we know Paul was well aware of his own shortcomings (Rom.7:14-24), so we can’t excuse ourselves from making the effort with false humility, claiming our unsuitability to be saints. This is God’s intent for us from the very beginning as we were created in the image of God (Gen.1:27), created in love, by love, for love.

Almost thirty years ago, Sr. Lucia of the Community of the Holy Spirit suggested reading the 15th century spiritual classic Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. Not only did she recommend reading it once, but she said it should be read “once a year for your soul’s sake.” That’s a powerful testimony of its efficacy. In it he emphasizes the eucharist as a key element of spiritual life. Eucharist is our great thanksgiving for the self-giving love of God, the self-donation of Christ. That self-giving, self-donation offering is our model for living in love.

As we open our hearts to receive the “bread of heaven,” as we receive the body and blood of Christ in thanksgiving, we are being transformed within from our self-absorbed, self-centered selves into the imago dei we were created to be, enabled to give ourselves to others with joyful hearts. God’s self-giving love inspires our self-giving love, completing the circle of love that “makes the world go round.” As Nan Merrill puts it in Psalm 69 of her Psalms for Praying: “and those who live the way of Love shall dwell with Love forever. Amen.”