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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
That thou mayest not then think it an act of necessity, hear how He saith, that "He gave Himself up." As thy Master loved thee, love thou thy friend. Nay, but neither wilt thou be able so to love; yet still do so as far as thou art able. Oh, what can be more blessed than a sound like this! Tell me of royalty or whatever else thou wilt, there is no comparison. Forgive another, and thou art "imitating God," thou art made like unto God. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
As the Lord loved you, so you too love your brother and imitate God as far as possible. And one cannot here make excuses of poverty and say: if I forgive, I will suffer loss; but forgive the one who sins freely and without cost, and you have already gained great profit, that is, you have become an imitator of God. Then he points to another, more noble reason as well. "As children," he says, "beloved," that is, you have yet another necessity to imitate your Father. …
Ignatius of Antioch
I have become acquainted with your name, much-beloved in God, which ye have acquired by the habit of righteousness, according to the faith and love in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Being the followers of God, and stirring up yourselves by the blood of God, ye have perfectly accomplished the work which was beseeming to you. …
Western Saints
Jerome
When he wrote to the Corinthians, indeed, he said "be imitators" of me … for though they could not instantaneously become imitators of Christ, it was still a great thing for them if they could be imitators of the imitator. But to the Ephesians, since they are those to whom he has revealed such great mysteries, he neither says "be imitators of me" nor "be imitators of Christ" but "be imitators of God." This does not imply that it is less to be an imitator of Christ than of God, for Christ is God.… Admittedly much that God has done we …
Thomas Aquinas
Once he has exhorted them to kindness and mercy, which are the effects of charity (4:32), he gives them a model [to imitate]. In reference to this he does two things: First, he urges them to imitate the exemplar, namely, God. Secondly, he lets them know in what they should imitate him (5:2). I have affirmed, he says, that you ought to forgive one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Be therefore followers of God because this is indispensable even if it is difficult. …
Bonaventure
He commands imitation of himself. Concerning this imitation the Apostle says: Be imitators of God, as most beloved children. Now there are six works of mercy, namely: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, gathering in strangers, visiting the sick, and ransoming captives. Moreover, the work of perfect virtue cannot exist unless the creature is conformed to Christ in these things.
Translation