Do not conform yourselves/ to this age/ but be transformed

Do not conform yourselves/ to this age/ but be transformed.

When I first came to this seminary, / at the very first meeting with my mentor, / I asked him,/"Father, what should I do to become a good priest?” he told me,/ "Be another Jesus. let your heart be converted/ to be the heart, eye, and hand of Jesus for others.”

I know/ it sounds like Sulpician meditation. / But after 10 years of priestly formation, / I firmly believe that/ it is true that/ if we want to be a good priestunto Jesus' heart,/ there is no other way/ than to become another Christ.

Christ became like us/ to make us like him, and Christ calls us to be united with him/ and he transforms us/ to be like him.

In the reading today/, St. Paul means that/ liturgy and life form a unity./ We are called to serve the Lord/ in all circumstances,/ so that every action/ is a sacrifice that gives glory to God/, and every thought/ is conformed to the knowledge of his will.

Paul envisions nothing less/ than our total transformation/ which is now made possible/ by the mercies of God.

Being transformedto be another Christ/ is a way/ that allows us/ to be a living sacrifice, / holy and acceptable to God.

I know/ that sometimes it is challenging/ to treat others as Christ does,/ for I myself fail almost every day.

However, it is the only way/ we may become/ what we are called to be. We are all called to be another Christ,/ to be/ in persona Christi in our hearts.

During this Lenten season, we are called to look at others/ through the eye of Christ,/ show mercy/ and love to others through Christ’s heart,/ and to help others/ with the hand of Christ.

This is how/ to become /a good shepherd like Jesus, /our Good Shepherd.

Lastly, I would like to invite you/ to reflect on the question the bishop asks the elect/ at diaconate ordination.

Do you resolve to conform your way of life/ always to the example of Christ, of whose Body/ and Blood you are ministers at the altar? I will read again..

Let’s reflect on the answer to this question.