Introduction to Christ Our Model

In the beginning, when God created man and woman, He created them in His own image and likeness. There is an ancient tradition that by this is meant that man was made according to the image and likeness of the Word made flesh, Christ Jesus. Jesus was, therefore, the model—or what Thomas and the Scholastics called the “exemplary cause”—according to which we were made. The more like Christ we become, then, the more truly human we become, the more ourselves we become. This is why the Second Vatican Council declared, “Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear” (GS 22).

By the Incarnation and the Passion, Jesus Christ reveals us to ourselves by showing us the model according to which we were made, not only what we are as body-soul composites but how we are to live. If we wish to be fully man, we must grow into “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph 4:13) who, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil 2:6–7). Christ’s whole life was one of humility, of lowering Himself to the level of His servants in order to lift them up to the level of brothers.

Christ’s example is presented to us by St. Paul not simply as a model of having a low opinion of oneself or even of “thinking of oneself less,” as CS Lewis put it, but of self-emptying, of lowering oneself to the level of one’s lessers and even giving one’s life for his lessers. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,” says Paul. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:1–2).

In one of the homilies included below, John Chrysostom notes that humility is not about considering one’s equals greater than himself but about becoming the servant of one’s equals, that is, making oneself lower. It is about a king waiting on his servants, a president serving the people, a father washing the feet of his children. It is not about denying one’s proper status but recognising it and still choosing a lower place. Then, just as Christ was rewarded with glory and honour and kingship, the humble man will hear on the last day, “Friend, go up higher” (Lk 14:10).

In the final part of this issue, we provide some pieces on the imitation of Christ as it pertains to His humility. We begin with the “kenotic hymn,” St. Paul’s account of Christ’s humbling Himself, taking on human nature, and dying for us sinners. Next, St. Augustine lays out two mediators whom we are able to imitate. One is Christ, who mediates life as we imitate His humility; the other is Satan, who mediates death as we imitate his pride. “Therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him” (Dt 30:19–20).

We then draw from Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, a classic of Catholic spirituality, as he lays out our model of humility and obedience; surely, if the creator of the universe humbles Himself to be obedient to human authority, we too can humble ourselves to do the same. John Chrysostom makes much the same point in his sermons, going even further to note that Christ lowered Himself to wash the feet of His betrayer. We too ought to humble ourselves to bestow benefits even on those who harm us.

And that brings us to the end of another issue.

I would like to take a moment here to thank all of you our audience for your prayers and support over the last two years. Tradition Magazine has continued to grow and develop since I took over as editor in January of last year; I am greatly indebted to the TradMag team for all of their hard work during that time. But, due to changing life circumstances and the inability to devote sufficient time to the project, it is time for me to pass the torch to another editor. I will remain on the team to assist with the audio recordings and I intend to go back to writing more.

And as always, if you like what we are doing and want to support us, you can share our content, visit our webstore, get a paid subscription, or support us with your prayers. Now let’s get on with the issue.

Aaron P. Debusschere
Editor