Imitation through different mediations

This gift of imitating ad following Christ might be received through different mediations.

This includes, amongst others:

1) The proclamation, study and meditation of the ‘Gospels’ since  “they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Saviour” (Dei Verbum, n. 18).

2) Living the life of the ‘Church’, since through all its faith expressions and norms, the Church promotes a lifestyle according to Christ and in union with him. 

3) Living the ‘sacraments’, through which the grace of imitation is bestowed and fortified—especially the Eucharist which “is the culmination of our assimilation to Christ” (Veritatis Splendor, n. 21). 

4) “The sharing in the Church liturgy, in which the mysteries of Christ are celebrated, and rendered present anew. In and through the liturgy, the Holy Spirit builds us in our following of Christ and imprints his spiritual traits.”^[4]

5) The personal encounter with Christ in ‘contemplation’.  This is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus which leads to the renunciation of self. His gaze, on the other hand, purifies our heart. Through contemplation one meets the mysteries of the life of Christ.

6) The reflection on ‘cosmic nature’ since “from him [Christ] and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36).

7) ‘Events’ since they can stimulate different aspects of imitation from the words and deeds of Christ. For example, when the Christians experienced martyrdom and persecution, they considered this as an opportunity to imitate the passion of Christ. 

8) ‘People’, especially the saints, since when someone incorporates the example of Christ, one becomes a model to others, as Saint Paul said, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

9)‘Particular charismas’ which encourage called individuals to imitate particular attitudes of Jesus. These charismas together build up the full stature of Christ (cf. Ephesians 4:11-13). 

10) Other ways and means that the Holy Spirit might stir up in the life of individuals according to their life circumstances (cf. Christi fidelis Laici, n. 16).