The Image of Christ in Our Life
by V. Rev. Fr. George Treff, National A.R.O.Y. Spiritual Advisor (1988-1993)

We have all seen the icon of Christ when we enter a Church.  We should all have an icon of Christ in our home in our icon corner.  If we were asked to draw a picture of Christ, could we?  Yes we can!  All we need to do is take our icon and place a piece of paper over it.  Christ’s image can be seen and all we need to do is copy it.  The original picture is under the paper, and we are tracing it.  That is the easy way to draw, but we must note that it is important for the piece of paper to touch the icon of Christ in order to trace it.  If the icon were several inches away from the paper, we wouldn’t be able to trace it.

In the same way, we can’t be distant from Christ and still see Him as a part of our lives.  In the first Epistle of St. Peter to the faithful, in Chapter 2 verse 21, we read: “For even unto this were we called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps.”  This means that our life is to be patterned and have His image in it.

If our lives are to be like Christ’s life, we must first of all see His life.  We must see that He is our Savior, the Son of God, who also became man so that He could die for our sins.  We have to see the love and mercy He has given us.  We have to see how His death takes away our guilt and His resurrection gives us the power of eternal life.

All of this is wonderful to see, but too often it appears to us to be something far away -- just like the icon that hangs on our walls.  But if Christ is to be our example, we must be near Him.  We must be close enough that our lives can be copied from His.  To follow in His steps does not mean that we should follow at a great distance, where we can see only His footprints.  We must be near Him, where we can see Him and follow Him.  This is possible because He has remained near us.  Even though he was taken away from us when He was crucified, He returned on the third day and lives with us now.

When we feel afraid and lonely, confused and in despair, when we are weak and tempted, we must remember His icon, His image in our lives.  We must remember how He has come to us through our Baptism and how we have put on a life in Christ.  We must remember how He is never parted from us but remains with us always through the power of His Holy Spirit.

* from The A.R.O.Y. Newsletter, June 1992