The Imitation of Christ: With Edits, Comments and Fictional Narrative

By Tim Moore

Thomas a’Kempis advises those who want to follow Jesus to set aside their worldly attachments and vanity in favor of the Cross of humility and poverty. Thomas’ masterpiece, The Imitation of Christ, is second only to the Bible in its popularity in Christendom. In Book One of the four books, Thomas offers practical, simple steps toward

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tim Moore
• Release date: Aug 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9780692177518

Book preview

The Imitation of Christ

The Imitation of Christ

Book I

Thomas a’Kempis 1380-1471

Timothy E. Moore, Esq.

Tunic Patch Press

Contents

Opening Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Why Read The Imitation of Christ?

Who Should Read The Imitation of Christ?

Life of Thomas a'Kempis

The Chronicles of the Novice Master of Mount Saint Agnes Monastery.

1. Introduction to the Fictional Narrative

2. Michaelmas, Anno Domini 1417

3. Mount Saint Agnes Monastery, Zwolle

4. The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a’Kempis.

5. Having a Humble Opinion of Yourself

6. The Knowledge of Truth

7. Applying Prudence to Our Actions

8. Reading the Holy Scriptures

9. Inordinate Affections

10. Avoiding Vain Hope and Pride

11. The Dangers of Familiarity

12. Obedience and Subjection

13. Avoiding a Superfluity of Words

14. Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Our Spiritual Progress.

15. The Utility of Adversity

16. Resisting Temptations

17. Avoiding Rash Judgment

18. Works of Charity

19. Bearing the Faults of Others

20. The Consecrated Disciple

21. The Example of the Holy Fathers

22. The Spiritual Exercise of the Devout Disciple

23. The Love of Solitude and Silence

24. Compunction of Heart

25. Contemplation of the Miseries and Sorrows of This Life.

26. A Meditation Upon Death

27. The Judgment and Punishment of Sin

28. The Zealous Amendment of Our Whole Life.

29. Book II: Admonitions Concerning Interior Things.

About the Author

Appendix

Key Questions from Book I of The Imitation of Christ.

Key Quotes

Prayers

Opening Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful: and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.

V. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.

R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, Who instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Dedication

For my lovely wife, Donna, and our children (Cordelia, Virginia, Jim, Joe, Josh, Maria, John Paul, and your spouses and children, both those present and those yet to come!):

I love you and keep you always in my prayers.

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to all those who have encouraged me along the way - especially my family.

A special shout out to Miss Lila Martin, who told me to write this book about 8 years ago. Lila was my grade school math teacher, and opened new vistas of God's grace in my life through her teaching and prayerful example.

And in memory of my Dad, Jim Moore, who introduced me to The Imitation and set an example for me. Thanks, Dad. By God's Grace, I'll see you in Heaven. And thank you to my Mom, Rose, who continually inspires me.

Thank you to my beta readers for your suggestions, edits, and candid remarks.

Thank you to the Church of the Blessed Sacrament and its 24 hour Adoration Chapel, at which most of this manuscript was poured over, edited, prayed over, and, at one time, completely deleted! This work was composed under our Lord's watch - week after week. I offer it up for His glory and His Blessing, through the intercession of Thomas a'Kempis.

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Foreword

When I was a boy, as part of my chores, I used to go into my parents room to vacuum and dust. Upon one such occasion, I came across a tattered, pocket-sized edition of a book titled, The Imitation of Christ. My father, Jim, was not a big reader, but he had read this and read it to the point that the cover became well-worn.

This ignited a curiosity in me, since my Dad was a minimalist when it came to prayer-books devotionals. In talking with Dad, he indicated that the words spoken to him in a more real sense than other books. So, in imitating my Dad, I picked up a copy, and since then my love of this book has grown and blossomed.

Over the years, I've studied The Imitation. The book and its writer, Thomas a'Kempis, have prodded me to go deeper in my relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ. I am regularly challenged to strip the vanity and sin from my life: not from a sense of obligation, chastisement or performance-based theology, but rather because of my Love for Jesus Christ.

When my Dad died, I received his copy of The Imitation. I have it still, and it's more well-worn than ever, because I need to meditate on its teachings more than ever. Super-glue works great on books that defy re-covering.

Over the years, I've collected many copies of The Imitation. My favorites, like Dad's, are all in an older English translation, with many saiths and thous and hasts. This version attempts to update the language into a more readable form without dumbing down the underlying content. No mean task in the 21st Century. Along the way, I consulted many fine editions of The Imitation, to try and get it just right.

My hope is that you will find and experience the same depth of devotion and love of Christ, which Thomas brings to us so well. At times, you will want to put yourself in a monk's habit and sit at the Master's feet (Rm 10:15). At other times, you will bring your burdens to this book and find that all your worries are your own vanity: that in the scheme of things, weighed against our immortal soul and the eternal relationship with God, those burdens are nothing – a chasing after the wind (Eccl 1:14). In future volumes, Christ Himself will emerge from the pages to counsel and encourage us, and admonish us to follow Him at all times, in all situations. He will do so with compassion and love, but with an unwavering sense of courage. When Rome is burning, He will appear as we are running away and ask us: Quo Vadis? Where are you going?

In reading and researching the life of Thomas a'Kempis, I have come to the conclusion that Thomas had visions of Christ doing the work that Thomas himself was actually doing. Some of his writings and other writings about him suggest that to be the case.

Here was a man so in tune with the Spirit, so focused on the mission of the Gospel that he regularly encountered Christ in this way. In Thomas' eyes, it was Christ Himself, physically present, doing the charitable work – with Thomas a mere observer. This is why I included a fictional narrative at the beginning of Book 1 (and those to follow). My hope is to share the mind of Thomas with you as he may have seen himself as the chronicler of Mount St. Agnes Monastery.

In our age, it would be as if Thomas were wearing a GoPro Camera, but the lens was showing to Thomas the Hands of Christ, the Feet of Christ, the whole Person of Christ performing the good work or charitable deed. During a time of famine, for example, Thomas comes into the priory during meal time and tells the monks that they must divide their meager share of bread in half in order to feed the starving people of the village. And they did.

I believe that Thomas a'Kempis, as a mystic, heard the words of Christ during instances like this (and there were many). Those around him did not question his inspiration. It was as if he were simply following directions, taking notes, showing up. May we do likewise by stripping the distractions and sin from our lives so that we may imitate Thomas and hear the Voice of Christ.

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Tim Moore, Springfield Illinois, Feast of Thomas a'Kempis, July 25th, 2017.

Why Read The Imitation of Christ?

This book is best taken in short doses. That is, I recommend that you read one chapter a day. You may want to work through a whole book or just take random chapters, but taking one chapter at a time and meditating on that chapter is the best way to work through The Imitation of Christ (The Imitation).

There are times when you will hit upon a verse in a chapter that is profound or moving or just makes you think. If this happens, then stop, take the time to ponder the verse, and then move on. Your reward will be a fruitful, spiritual progression toward following Christ.

For example, recently I was going through a certain meditation and the time, place and context of the meditation-as-prayer brought me to a tearful moment of thanks to Almighty God for His super-abundance. Of course I had read that passage many times, over many years. But that day, at that moment, it struck me in that inspiring way.

To that purpose, there is no end to The Imitation. You don't finish it any more than you finish reading the Psalms, Gospels, or any timeless prayer. There are some passages you may want to turn to regularly because the wisdom and piety are so deep that I know Thomas and The Lord will quickly transport you to a place of holy perspective. Remember to open your reading with prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to awaken His Spirit within your reading. I've put a prayer to the Holy Spirit in the front of the book for you to make it easy. You don't have to use this one, it's simply my favorite. Sometimes, when I forget to say this prayer, I just say: Holy Spirit, please guide my prayerful reading today. May I bear fruit for You. At this invitation, the Holy Spirit will shed light upon even the tiniest portions of this book. After all, it's His book. Once you've prayed and selected your passage,