The Imitation of Christ. Thomas à Kempis
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and then I raised them upward to the level of my head. Then I saw the shadowy profile of a man’s face; he looked at my hands and then bowed his head sadly. In response, a strong feeling of disappointment covered me. I quickly brought my hands back down to see what was so disappointing. That’s when I saw it. The reason for so many of my problems was in my hands: my hands were empty. At that exact moment, I heard five words spoken to my heart, undeniable and strong: “I made you for more.” Again and again I heard them, “I made you for more.” It was strong, emphatic, but gentle. I knew it was true. It was Truth.
All this happened in a matter of seconds, and I was startled when the photographer began snapping his fingers, trying to get me back into position to restart the shoot. But I couldn’t. I could not ignore what had just happened to my heart. So I told him I had to go. I did not know exactly what I would do next, but I was certain something needed to change, and it needed to happen right then. I walked out of the photo shoot, leaving behind my so-called promising career, wealth, and potential fame. What Christ was offering was more than all of that, and I desperately desired to live a life with meaning. While I had been busy imitating the world, Christ was busy seeking me, literally knocking on the door to my heart to remind me of my identity in him, and offering me a new way of life.
Later, I found a copy of The Imitation of Christ outside an adoration chapel. I knew I should know what was inside the pages. I was attracted to the simplicity of the title of the book and its manageable length. As a revert back to my Catholic faith, I needed to start small in my journey to following Jesus. But the size of this book fooled me. In my struggles to follow and imitate Christ, I found myself in tears as I read this book with its raw and cutting truths about human weaknesses — ones that I knew all too well. But I also felt uplifted and renewed by the book’s emphasis on the power of God’s mercy through Christ. God had clearly given me a grace to walk out of the photo shoot so that I would leave the world and follow him. But how? As Thomas à Kempis mentions multiple times in this book, it first begins with reconciliation, and then leads to the path of Divine imitation.
In my struggle to leave the world and follow Christ, I needed encouragement and the proper spiritual direction to keep me going. Thomas à Kempis became a friend to me, speaking to my heart the truths of Christ’s love and mercy for me, but also never allowing me to give up or give in to the ways of the world I had previously pursued. He was practical and to the point. I needed that. I still need that. Years later, as a committed follower of Christ, Thomas is still a faithful friend, encouraging me in my morning readings and reminding me in the evenings of ways to imitate Christ even better the next day. The Imitation of Christ is not a book one finishes, but as I have found, it’s a book one rereads over and over again, unearthing new spiritual gems as Christ continues to work in us for our good.
But as much as we know we should imitate Christ, the world still tries to recruit us with its empty and vain promises. They come as whispers of freedom, bellowing opportunities that can’t be missed, or even the cheering of a crowd. Do not be afraid: Jesus understands our dilemma. Just think about that moment when he stood before Pontius Pilate and saw the struggle on the Roman governor’s face. Would Pilate follow Truth, literally standing before him, or would he follow the jeering crowd demanding the death of Jesus? Pilate followed the crowd. Make no mistake about it, whom we choose to follow, whom we choose to imitate, will be made known and remembered. Just think about it: each Sunday when we profess our faith in the Nicene Creed, we remember and utter the name of the man who chose the crowd over Truth, “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.” Pilate’s refusal should make us all pause to see where there may be occasions when we have consciously chosen not to imitate Christ, but have taken the easy way out and followed the crowd.
There is a desperate need for Christians today to imitate Christ with courage and fervor in our personal and public lives. Committing to a life of imitation of Christ is no promise of comfort or ease. The only guarantee Christ offers is that he will never leave us, he will never abandon us, and he will always give us the grace to do the will of the Father. If we do this throughout our lives, always getting back up when we fall, he promises us eternal happiness in heaven with him. Shouldn’t this be enough?
Imitating Christ should not be viewed as a checklist, but a fluid adventure. Nothing in our life is spared to draw us closer to Incarnate Love. We are constantly called to recalibrate, to stand up again after we fall, and to keep going. Death itself provides us with the final earthly opportunity to imitate Christ, who died for love of us to bring us to eternal life with him. Imitating Christ is not always easy, but it is the only way to live and become the people God created us to be. With confidence, we can repeat the words of Saint Peter, who in the face of confusion, doubt, and exhaustion — and given the opportunity to abandon Jesus — said to Christ, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life” (Jn 6:68).
Book I
Thoughts Helpful in the Life of the Soul
Chapter One
Imitating Christ and Despising All Earthly Vanities
“He who follows me will not walk in darkness,” says the Lord (Jn 8:12). By these words of Christ, we are advised to imitate his life and habits if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.
The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and the person who has Christ’s spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often, but care little for it because they do not have the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on Christ’s life.
What good does it do to speak well about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed, it is not learning that makes us holy and just, but a virtuous life makes us pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers, if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve him alone.
This is the greatest wisdom — to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world. It is vanity, therefore, to seek and trust in riches that perish. It is vanity also to seek honor and to be puffed up with pride. It is vanity to follow the lusts of the body and to desire things that will merit severe punishment later. It is vanity to wish for long life and to care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not to make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not to look ahead where eternal joy abides.
Often recall the proverb: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecc 1:8). Try, moreover, to turn your heart from the love of things visible and bring yourself to things invisible. For those who follow their own evil passions stain their consciences and lose the grace of God.
Chapter Two
Having a Humble Opinion of Self
Everyone naturally desires knowledge; but what good is knowledge without fear of God? Indeed, a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars. The person who knows himself well becomes mean in his own eyes and is not happy when praised by men.
If I knew all things in the world and did not have charity, what would it profit me before God, who will judge me by my deeds?
Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things that do little or no good to the soul when we have knowledge of them, and it is very unwise to concern ourselves with things other than those which lead to salvation.
Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind, and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God.