Perfection Is Not…

Perfection is not…

Scripture:

Leviticus 19:1-2,

Leviticus 19:17-18,

1 Corinthians 3:16-23,

Matthew 5:38-48.

Reflection

Dear sisters and brothers,

Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect!

I was amazed at the last line in today’s gospel reading taken from the gospel of Saint Matthew.

Why was I amazed?

It was a call for me from Jesus Christ.

The question that haunted me is: Is it possible for me to be like the heavenly Father?

It is not possible in an ordinary sense.

But…

It is possible to a certain extent to be perfect in our lives.

Nothing is wrong in trying to be perfect like the heavenly Father.

In other words, how we can do it…

By simply being Holy.

Holiness is holistic.

Holiness is not a part of something in our lives.

Holiness is like a mirror image of us.

Holiness reflects what we are in our inner selves or private lives.

Holiness does reflect what we are in private and what we are in public.

It is the same reflection as we look at the mirror for our same image.

There is no filter like that of new photo-clicking apps on our smartphones.

So,

How do we become holy?

Saint Paul says:

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God,

and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person;

for the temple of God, which you are, is holy” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Here, Saint Paul does not speak about the body alone.

He speaks of body, mind, and soul.

In other words, he speaks in a sense of wholeness of life.

The wholeness is the body in totality, thinking patterns, and spiritual inclination.

Having a healthy body includes good thoughts and spiritual actions.

In this context, the gospel of today brings out how to have good thoughts and spiritual actions:

“You have heard that it was said…But I say to you…”

This is a new word, a new life, a new world from Jesus Christ as we read:

“Whoever keeps the word of Christ,

the love of God is truly perfected in him” (1 John 2:5).

The love of God filters our bad thoughts.

The love of God purifies our actions.

Finally, we become a combination of good thoughts and spiritual actions.

This combination leads us to become holy or perfect.

This combination is not a finished product as Saint Paul says:

“Let no one deceive himself.

If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age,

let him become a fool, so as to become wise” (1 Corinthians 3:18).

It is a process throughout our lives.

“So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,

Paul or Apollos or Cephas,

or the world or life or death,

or the present or the future:

all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

Let us purify our physical body, mind, and soul as the book of Leviticus 19:17-18, calls us:

“You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.

Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,

do not incur sin because of him.

Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.

You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

I am the LORD.”

May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen…