The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, Book III Chapter XXV: ”In What Stable Peace of Heart and True Profit Consists” (third entry)

Here we find another response from Christ to the disciple, this time querying what he must do to find true peace. The constant refrain in this book: seek the will of the Lord and then let nothing stand in the way of implementing it.

|Today’s Gospel reading: Mt 12:46-50

This little passage gives some folks the audacity to posit that Jesus is somehow denigrating His mother by ignoring her and then lumping her in with the rest of us. Certainly, this is not the case. His mother is our exemplar in perfectly doing the will of God. Her entire life was dedicated to the Lord, and her acceptance of being His mother led to a path of joy and suffering that we cannot fathom. But every moment of her life, from conception until her reunion with her Son in heaven, was all for God. Jesus asks us to imitate her.

|Reflection

This is an opportunity to reflect on Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary. No one more perfectly did God’s will than she did. Destined from all eternity to be the mother of the Incarnate Word, the Second Person of the Trinity become man, she humbly accepted this awesome gift and dedicated the remainder of her life to Jesus and then His Church. In the passage above, do we not think that the followers of Jesus knew His mother well? She was undoubtedly no stranger to His ministry. The disciples Jesus addresses here were likely in awe of His words, considering what they knew of this lovely woman who raised Jesus. now supported Him in His ministry, and would continue to be with Him, even unto torture and death. A tall order? In our fallen state, yes. Mary was “full of grace.” And so, we should strive to be like her: disposed to be open to the graces with which the Spirit desires to fill us to help us to be the persons we were created to be.