Be Yourself and Nothing Less!

   Sin clouds us.  It clouds us from who we are, but also in who we are meant to be.  Many times, we think that being ourselves comes with accepting the temptations to sin, which it most certainly does not.  Locking yourself into the temptations of sins and being manipulated by Satan definitely has nothing to do with us being ourselves.  You can only be yourself when you are free.

   Sadly, we are born with Original Sin and though it is washed away in baptism the effects of Original Sin remain.  We have a weakness to sin called concupiscence.  But we already know we have this weakness.  It is nothing new.  We want it to go away, but it does not.  So, we either embrace it or we fight against it.  Trying to remain neutral to it allows it to win, which leads to an embrace of it.

   And yet, we are made to be perfect.  “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” [Matthew 5:48]  This is reminder of who we were created to be.  Sure, we cannot recreate ourselves, but our perfect Father can.  But are we trying to cooperate?  He is trying to perfect you right now with the situations in your life.  Some did not need to be the way they are now, but He can make these imperfections perfect in you.  Will you cooperate?

   There is only one you.  He sees you as His masterpiece.  Sure, there is much mess, but He sees what He created you to be and what you still can become, if you only cooperate.  Love is not easy, and yet, that is what He is asking from you.  Growing in love will make you perfect.  It will ultimately come from God, who is Love, to make you perfect, but your cooperation allows it.

   Our Father did not create you to be like someone else.  He did not create you to be less than you are.  He did not create you for the evil that is sin.  He created you good, out of His infinite goodness.  And when sin came to destroy this plan He had for you, He sent His Only Begotten Son to die for you that you can still be who you were created to be.  His beloved son or daughter for all of eternity.  He just needs your cooperation.

   Jesus, in You, we find our purpose, to be a perfect child of the Father.  Help us in all things to cooperate with God’s will, which is love, in order that we might allow Our Father to perfect us in His goodness and for our eternal salvation.  Amen.