Q U I C K S C A N

What does it mean to be “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”?
What is the true meaning of perfection and holiness?

Readers reflect on Friar Jack’s musings

by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M.

What does it mean to be “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”?

When Jesus speaks of holiness in the gospel, he gives us what seems to be an impossible task: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48). How can Jesus command perfection in us when we experience the effects of Original Sin and struggle against sin daily? It helps to know that even the greatest of saints considered themselves far from perfect and readily confessed themselves to be the worst sinners in the world. If the great saints were sinners, then what’s the point of our even trying to measure up to God’s perfection?

But wait! We often misunderstand what Jesus truly said. Scripture is God’s Word in human language, and human language is often misinterpreted. Statements in the Scriptures must be taken in the context in which they were written and spoken. Why would Jesus ever demand of us something impossible? After all, look at the problems his own apostles had.

Remember what Jesus said to his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount: “I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20). A good number of Pharisees considered themselves the epitome of perfection and the ideal for all to follow. They based that opinion on such things as obeying every law and keeping every detail of every law. Recall how the Pharisee in the Temple prayed: “O, Lord, I’m so glad I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I pay tithes on all my income” (Lk 18:10-12).  However, Jesus said that it was the tax collector who went home justified, not the Pharisee. Strange, isn’t it?

What is the true meaning of perfection and holiness?

The important conclusion is that perfection is not based on self-justification or self-righteousness. Perfection is based on our relationship with God. Only God has absolute perfection, and we cannot become perfect or holy on our own. Perfection and holiness are based on the life of God—the life of grace within us. And our whole journey on earth is the process of growing in perfection and holiness. But we know that the holiest of people, like the saints, are the ones most likely to see themselves as sinners.

If Jesus commands us to be as holy as our heavenly Father, we must know what this means. Jesus already discounted self-justification in the example of the “prayer” of the Pharisee. And so, holiness is not a matter of multiplying prayers or doing good works to gain glory and God’s approval. Where do we see the best example of the holiness of God most? We look at Jesus, God in the flesh, since he helps us understand holiness translated into our own human experience.

Jesus told us very simply, “My command is that you love God with all your heart and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.” Holiness is based on love. What kind of love? Well, how did Jesus love? He was kind and compassionate (his care for the sick, the outcasts, the hungry). He was merciful and forgiving (his parables about the lost sheep, the prodigal son, the adulterous woman). He was humble and sought to do the Father’s will in all things. Remember how he described the poor widow who gave her two copper coins to the temple: “She has given more than all the rest.”

Friar Jack’s Inbox

Readers respond to Friar Jack’s musings on “Bold Thoughts on Peace From Pope Benedict XVI.”

Dear Friar Jack: Thank you for a wonderful writing (notable for me since I just attended conversations with a Benedictine priest on peace and justice), most especially his topics of just war and capital punishment. I cannot help but reflect with these conferences and your writing fresh in my mind: Pope Benedict has such marvelous theological insight into achieving world peace. Why would our Catholic bishops, Orthodox bishops, Protestant bishops, rabbis and imams not congregate in a world meeting to denounce all war and violence, and in union with the prayers of the faithful and Benedict XVI, be the instruments of this world peace all the world so ardently longs for? Jacqueline

Dear Friar Jack: If you can, please advise me on how best to deal with and think of Islam. I am struggling with this issue. Part of me (and I must admit—a big part of me) is hostile to Muslims and Islam. Being a practicing Catholic, I feel that all other religions are wrong. There is but on true Church—the Catholic Church—and one son of God, Jesus. Seeing all the mayhem being brought by Muslims in the name of God is causing me to have feelings and thoughts that I would rather not have, but I can’t seem to stop. I believe strongly in the dignity of every human being, but how to reconcile that belief with what I see going on in Islam is quite troubling. Thank you. I have been receiving your e-mails for a few years now, and I gain great comfort in your wisdom. Peace be with you! Dennis

Dear Jacqueline, Dennis and others: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on my last E-spiration. It triggered both positive and negative comments. Some were more bitterly negative than that of Dennis, which struck me as an honest, yet questioning, response. Seeking world peace and trying to resolve religious differences are big, complex questions for which there are no easy or short answers. But developing a respectful and patient attitude toward other world religions is one way to begin. With this in mind, I invite you to read this thoughtful Catholic Update article: “World Religions: A Primer for Catholics.” And may God help us all on the way to peace! Friar Jack

Send your feedback to friarjack@americancatholic.org.

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