Letter Seven: Our Lofty Call in Life
My Dear Family,
You have often heard, and no doubt often said, “I’m not perfect!” “Perfect” is not a positive term in our culture, especially when it refers to our moral conduct. In fact, it is negative. It can send us into a vortex of despair! However, the word is always used in Scripture positively. Jesus tells us with absolute joy (not with a frown and finger wagging) what our great goal in life is: “to be perfect, just like your Heavenly Father is perfect.” If we want to “think like Jesus” we must understand what Jesus is teaching us. There are three critical things to know about our lofty call.
First, we must know that there can be no limits to what we can aspire to because there are no limits to Jesus in His perfection. We never jump so high that we can say, that’s it! When high jumpers first start, they start low, and can never imagine that one day they will jump higher than their own height. If we become complacent with where we are, we will never achieve what God has for us, which is always something far beyond our natural powers and inclination.
Second, perfection does not mean sinlessness or faultlessness. It is the nature of our infirmed condition that we do and will sin. Perfection means that when we do sin, we turn to Jesus in the sacrament of reconciliation, receive absolution, and go on determined to be better. The sacrament of reconciliation makes no sense at all apart from the doctrine of perfection, our great end. It is not just about forgiveness but aspiring ever higher in our moral life.
Finally, perfection is not a static idea, that is, of “measuring up” to a set standard that only a few saints ever reached. Rather, it is an upward orientation, a trajectory, that one enters through a commitment to Christ as His disciple, supported by a steady sacramental life, a lively group of fellow disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Everyone who is on this trajectory is considered “perfect” in Scripture.
My dear church family, never let it be said among you, “well, I’m not perfect,” as an excuse for your life. If we give up this theologically powerful word, and the meaning behind it, all is lost; it can become a resignation to mediocrity! This word “perfect,” understood as it is used in Scripture, is the very foundation of our progression in our moral life. God has high expectations for us, and He will help us achieve those heights!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. John Worgul
Takeaway
Perfection is not a negative idea but a positive aspiration, It is the soul’s upward trajectory toward a godly life in which we think, feel and act like Jesus.
Discussion Questions
- What are some areas in your life where you keep striving for improvement, even though you know you may never reach “perfection” as the world defines it? Why do you continue to put in that effort?
- How can the mindset of a record-setting Olympian – like the high jumper mentioned in the letter – be applied to your spiritual journey? What lessons from their perseverance and focus can you bring into your faith life?
- In our next letter, we will begin talking about marriage. How does this teaching reshape your understanding of “perfection” in marriage? In what ways might it challenge or inspire you to approach the idea of marriage differently?