Imitate God as children of his that he loves
Ephesians 4:32–5:8
Luke 13:10-17
In the first reading Paul urges us to try to imitate God as children of his that he loves. The question immediately comes to our minds: how do we imitate God? Paul has mentioned three ways. Forgive as readily as God forgives us. God has shown us how he forgives in the sacrament of reconciliation. Jesus told his disciples that those whose sins they forgive will be forgiven. Hardly is there any occasion when we go to a priest and not get forgiveness. In the same way we are urged to forgive others by never denying them forgiveness. We also imitate God by loving as he has loved us; by giving ourselves for their good as Christ has done. Thirdly, we imitate God by avoiding all kinds of impurity, which, as Paul has explained, is worship of a false God. When you worship a false god, soon or later you discover that what you worshiped was not what it pretended to be; it was empty. So is promiscuity. It offers a very short-lived pleasure in exchange for much sorrow.
The responsorial psalm has made this imitation of God even clearer. The response is taken from the first reading itself: “try to imitate God as children of his that he loves”. The response which is the very first Psalm shows us how. It tells us that this imitation of God is the source of our true happiness. Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord. Who avoids the council of the wicked and does not enjoy the company of scorners, but who ponders God’s Law Day and night. The second verse tells us the consequences of such action: he is like a tree planted by flowing water. No matter how hot the season it bears fruit, for it has a constant supply of water and sunshine.
In the gospel we see how Jesus loved. When the “holy people” thought it was inappropriate for someone to try to be healed on the Sabbath: Jesus taught them the sensitivity to look beyond laws in order to see need: this woman who had suffered for 18 years deserved healing, even if this apparently broke the Sabbath law.
