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"You look just like your father," the clerk at the grocery store said to the young man. "And I can tell that you think a lot like him as well." "How do you do that?" asked the music teacher. "You sound just like Paul McCartney when you sing." "Keep working on your shots," the coach told the eager basketball player. "One day, you'll be just as good as Michael Jordan." "All of us," wrote St. Paul, "with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord . . . are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
What do these statements have in common? The promise that a person can emulate his or her hero. The promise that with the right combination of hard work and God-given abilities, we can set high goals for ourselves and meet them. And as for the quote from St. Paul, the promise is even greater: We can become like Jesus himself.
An Unrealistic Goal? At first blush, it may seem arrogant, or just plain unrealistic, to think that we can become like the holy, eternal Son of God. Not only do we see our own limitations, sins, and weaknesses but we live in a world that is constantly telling us to downplay our expectations. We may have high hopes and dreams. Our hearts may desire a purity and singleness of mind beyond everyday expectations. But we are told that these are…
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