A Reflection on The Imitation of Christ

January 1, 2011


The Octave Day of Christmas

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
 

This holy book, written in the early 15th Century by the humble Thomas a'Kempis has been a great influence in my spiritual journey.

This periodic reflection will attempt to take a verse or two from a particular chapter of one of the four Books.  The version I'm using is published by:
Confraternity of the Precious Blood ( http://confraternitypb.org/). See image
below.

I like this version because it uses a more formal version of English.  Also, the artwork itself, by Ariel Agemian, adds to the prayerful experience.  The artwork is devout without being corny or too wishy-washy. 

For today, I'm selecting a verse that fits with the New Year; from Book 1, Useful Admonitions, Chapter 11; Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Our Spiritual Progress:
Paragraph 5, V1, states (with my emphasis):

"If every year we rooted out one vice, we should soon become perfect men."

 He goes on to say:

"But now we often find it quite otherwise: that we were better and more pure in the beginning of our conversion than after many years of our profession."

In my future posts, I'll describe a book and chapter arrangement, then perhaps cover a particular portion that sticks with me, and how it does so.
From time-to-time, I'll put in a short reflection on the life of Thomas a'Kempis.