“The greatest happiness of our lives: to become like Jesus.” (St. John Eudes)
What joy—for You and for humanity—when we strive to put these words of John Eudes into practice. You did not send Your Son merely as our Redeemer, so that He might be the way to You. You also set Him before our eyes so that we might become like Him and be as He is.
Impossible? No, Father. That is precisely the meaning of following Jesus: that He may take shape in us more and more. As Your Apostle to the Gentiles said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20).
When everything within us reaches toward Your Son and His holy Word, and the Holy Spirit works within us, our thinking changes. It is no longer centered on ourselves, and we seek our own advantage less and less. Instead, we look up to You with the Lord of the Cross from within this world. It is this very gaze toward Your holy will that makes us increasingly like Him, for His every thought and desire was directed toward You. So it will be with us as well.
Of course, we do not have a divine nature like Jesus. We will always remain human—even in eternity—but perfected human beings. Yet all that the Lord accomplished by virtue of His divine nature, we are able to accomplish through Your grace. Did not Your beloved Son say to us: “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48)?
Thus, we must follow Your Son in all things and, on this path, become like Him. This is the greatest happiness of our lives. But not only that, dear Father; it is also Your happiness to see the life of Your divine Son in us. And it is the happiness of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom You have given to us as our Mother—a happiness for all, for heaven and earth.