Moral Perfection In This Life

All humans struggle with moral perfection, and temptations to sin are ever-present. Jesus tells us, “Temptations to sin are sure to come . . .” (Lk 17:1; RSV-CE). Yet Jesus, the Catholic Church, and Sacred Scripture call us to moral perfection in this life. Jesus says, “You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), a precept proclaimed between teachings that command stricter moral adherence than was taught in the Old Testament (Mt 5–7). So it seems that Jesus is demanding the impossible. Yet we also know that God gives His children the grace to combat sin, to do good, and to be morally perfect. And Jesus teaches us that all things are possible with God (Mt 19:26).

In Matthew 5–7, Jesus clearly tells us that not only must our exterior actions be holy, but our interior impulses and desires must be as well. This passage presumes our ability to distinguish between the categories of sin one can commit. Too often, though, we see the mortal sins in our lives but fail to identify the venial sins. And, too often, clergy and laity are unable to provide adequate explanations of venial sins. How many times have you heard someone say, “A venial sin is not serious,” or “A venial sin is like stealing a dollar versus a thousand dollars”? Additionally, we sometimes confuse venial sin with temptation because we do not have clear principles for distinguishing between them.

So, to help us move closer to moral perfection, this article will dissect the Church’s teachings, select scriptural passages, and St. Thomas Aquinas’ elucidation on this topic. It will show that Christ calls us to moral perfection in this life and provide principles for distinguishing between mortal and venial sins. When we correctly understand what sin is and distinguish between its categories, we can better identify them, root them out, and, with the power of grace, move toward that perfection of which Jesus speaks and the Church perennially teaches.

As a cautionary note, please understand that the true pursuit of moral perfection does not occur in a vacuum, and it is not instantaneous but a journey. As people of God, we must pursue moral perfection with an unwavering belief that God loves us into being, that we must love Him above all else, that we must love our neighbors as ourselves, that we often need our neighbors’ help, and that God gives us the grace to do these things in a spiritually healthy way.

In fact, we say along with St. John that “we love, because He first loved us,” and “let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God” (1 Jn 4). So, by loving God above all else, we come to the knowledge that molds our minds and hearts, equips us to love ourselves and our neighbors, and helps us to move ever closer to moral perfection. By understanding God’s love for us, that is, by understanding that the perfectly happy God loves us into being and designs us to be happy in Him, we can better avoid the kind of self-scrutiny that leads to scrupulosity, or worse, despair.

We must also avoid the error that willpower alone will move us closer to moral perfection. Although willpower, or rather, the will’s cooperation with God’s grace, is necessary, berating oneself after every fall will lead to constant discouragement and loss of hope. Instead, if/when we fall, we should look at it as a learning and humbling experience, an example of human weakness, the need to rely on grace, and an opportunity to become stronger through practicing the virtues. After all, vice can only be overcome by practicing virtuous behavior, receiving the sacraments, loving God, and allowing Him to love you. We all struggle with the effects of Original and personal sins, which include ignorance and disordered tendencies toward sinful objects. Thankfully, God, the perfect Father, walks with His children to help us overcome these obstacles, progressively making us better images of Him.

The Catholic Church’s Teaching on Moral Perfection

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “‘All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.‘ All are called to holiness: ‘Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’”

In order to reach this perfection, the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that . . . doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus, the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.

And

The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes.

Select Bible Verses

Holy Scripture contains numerous verses and passages on moral perfection. I have counted at least seventy of them in the New Testament alone. Below are six verses in which Scripture commands perfection. Notice that verses two through four reiterate Jesus’ words in Matthew 5.

• Matthew 5:48 – You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
• 1 John 3:3 – And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure (be pure as your heavenly Father is pure).
• 1 John 3:7 – Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as He is righteous (be righteous as your heavenly Father is righteous).
• 1 Peter 1:16 – . . . it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (be holy as your heavenly Father is holy).
• 2 Corinthians 7:1 – Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everydefilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.
• Hebrews 12:14 – Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Here are some additional verses on which to reflect: Galatians 5:24 says we must “crucify the flesh with its passions and desires.” 2 Peter 3:14 states that we must be “zealous to be found by [God] without spot or blemish.” St. Peter again writes, “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth . . . love one another” (1 Pt 1:22). St. Paul writes, “. . . no immoral or impure man . . . has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5). In 1 Thessalonians 5:22, St. Paul commands us to “abstain from every form of evil.” And, finally, St. James exhorts us to “let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Js 1:4).

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