Like The Russian Doll

Once I purchased a wooden, hand painted, peasant Russian doll that twists open at the middle to reveal another doll inside. You take the smaller doll out, open it, and another, even smaller one is inside. Open that one and you discover a tinier doll! The fun is in discovering all that is hidden inside each doll. To me, it is an excellent picture of all the models hidden in Christ. Jesus is our model for love. St Paul directs husbands to model themselves on Christ: “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church” (Eph 5:25). He could have held up Christ as model also for wives in their relationship to their husbands. If we open the love of Christ, we will find our model for sufferings for love’s sake. Christ never died for our good works; they were not worth dying for, but died to restore us to heaven. If we open the love of Christ still further, we will find our model for gentleness. Even though at times he spoke with biting criticisms against all forms of hypocrisy, his heart is a gentle heart. If we open his love still deeper, we will find our model for forgiving others. While he hung up on the cross, he pleaded with his Father to forgive his executioners. Christ is God’s everything for our total need, hence every virtue known to every human being is found in Christ.

Meditation On Bible Readings: Eph 5:21-33; Lk 13:18-21