Monday of the
Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ephesians 4:32-5:8; Luke 13:10-17)
A wise man once said that it is easier to act ourselves
into a new way of thinking than to think ourselves into a new way of
acting. Developing virtue, the
dispositions to act well, require practice.
All the thinking and hoping in the world will not produce a person of
character. The Pauline author of
Ephesians surely will concur.
The writer begs his readers to “be imitators of God.” He (in all likelihood the writer was male)
urges the people to love by doing good things for one another. They are
to support the weak, to instruct the unlearned, and to promote the welfare of
everyone.
Sometimes we want to squirm from the challenge. Imitating God seems too much for us. And it is true that we are utterly incapable
of imitating God in every way. But God Himself
empowers us to get beyond natural limitations.
Our imitations may never be perfect, but with effort they can both
please God and help our neighbors.
