Who Are You Imitating?

 

It’s close to the World Series. The first World Series I remember was 1966, when the upstart Baltimore Orioles swept the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4 games to none. It was historic since the Dodgers were the stronger team and were favored to win.

But growing up in Western Pennsylvania, my favorite players were not Orioles or Dodgers, but Pirates. And my favorite Pirates were Roberto Clemente and Bill Mazeroski. I even imagined myself as them. When I played Little League, I imagined myself as Maz at 2^nd base. When I played the outfield, I tried the basket catch that Clemente made famous. My brother and I wear our Maz and Clemente T-shirts even to this day.

It’s great to imitate our favorite athletes, but more importantly, it’s great to imitate other people we admire and teach us Christian values. These people may be our parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, bosses, pastors or neighbors. How many parents became teachers, nurses, machinists, accountants or pastors because they wanted to imitate people they admired? You should ask that question to your parents.

In his letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul encouraged the Christians to imitate him. This may sound like that Paul had a big ego or a swelled head, but when you read his letter to them in the proper setting, you know that he wanted them to be like Jesus, as he wanted to be like Jesus.

Have you thought of being a holy person? Have you thought of being a great reformer like Martin Luther? Have you thought of being an ideal saint like Paul or Peter, Mary Magdalene or Martha? Who is the holy person you admire and want to imitate?

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless all children, and give their fathers and mothers the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.