April 1st, Thursday of Holy Week

Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14, Psalm 116: 12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18, 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26, John 13: 1-15

How many of us have ever been “imitated” by a child? We’ve all been there: that moment when a little girl squares herself, hands on hips, and exclaims to her younger brother: “Now, don’t forget to eat your vegetables, honey!” Or the little boy who stands side-by-side with his dad in front of the bathroom mirror, pretending to shave with a bladeless razor, using foaming bath soap for shaving cream.

At one time or another, we find ourselves teaching by example. The kids in our lives – our own children, nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, students – look to us, as trusted adults, for guidance. I’ll never forget one night during a difficult time caring for my mom in her home. I’d asked my daughter, then a precocious three-year-old, to please bring grandma’s pills to her bedside. She took it upon herself to find a relish tray with separate sections, which provided the perfect vessel for the many required medications. After carefully dividing all pills out by color and size, she gingerly carried that all-important dish, normally reserved for pickles and olives, into her beloved grandma’s room, laying it with great care and compassion on the nightstand. It was the first time in weeks my mom laughed out loud. Still wiping the tears from her eyes she turned to me and chuckled, “I wonder where she learned how to take such good care of me!”

Teaching by example. It’s a responsibility we all have, and a lesson shared in two of my favorite scripture readings for today. In John 13, Jesus says to his disciples “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” And in the first letter to the Corinthians, he tells them to “be imitators of me.”

Especially during this Lenten season, let us all reflect on just how powerful those words are. To follow Jesus’ example is a gift. And one that we can only hope will continue to be shared for generations to come.

B-L Pellicore, mother to Renée, healthcare communications manager.