{"id":23255,"date":"2016-03-03T00:24:25","date_gmt":"2016-03-03T06:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=23255"},"modified":"2017-04-27T19:31:39","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T23:31:39","slug":"on-christian-perfection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/on-christian-perfection\/","title":{"rendered":"On Christian Perfection","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"CENTER\">LENTEN RETREAT<br \/>\n Day 20<\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-23261\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/beauty-3.jpg\" alt=\"beauty-3\" width=\"471\" height=\"353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/beauty-3.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/beauty-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/beauty-3-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 471px) 100vw, 471px\" \/><\/p>\n<p align=\"CENTER\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><strong>SOME <\/strong> might find this the most intimidating\u00a0and discouraging Scripture in the Bible.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">Be\u00a0perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:48)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">Why would Jesus say\u00a0such a thing to mere mortals like you and me who grapple daily with doing God&#8217;s will? Because to be holy as God is holy is when you and I will be <em>happiest<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><!--more-->Imagine if the earth were to go off tilt by only a single degree. Scientists say it would throw\u00a0our weather and seasons into chaos, and certain portions of the earth would remain in darkness longer than others. So too, when you and I commit even the smallest sin, it\u00a0throws our equilibrium into imbalance\u00a0and our hearts into more darkness than light. Remember, we were never created for sin, never created for tears, never created for death. The call to holiness is the call to simply become who you were meant to be, created in God&#8217;s image. And through Jesus, it is now possible for the Lord to restore the joy we once knew in the Garden of Eden.<\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">St. Faustina was very alive to how the smallest sin was a dent in her happiness and a little wound in her relationship with the Lord. One day, after committing the same error again, she came to the chapel.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>Falling at the feet of Jesus, with love and a great deal of pain, I apologized to the Lord, all the more ashamed because of the fact that in my conversation with Him after Holy Communion this very morning I had promised to be faithful to Him. Then I heard these words:<em> If it hadn&#8217;t been for this small imperfection, you wouldn&#8217;t have come to Me. Know that as often as you come to Me, humbling yourself and asking My forgiveness, I pour out a superabundance of graces on your soul, and your imperfection vanishes before My eyes, and I see only your love and your humility. You lose nothing but gain much&#8230;<\/em><\/strong> \u2014<em>Divine Mercy in My Soul, <\/em>Diary, n. 1293<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">This is a beautiful exchange that again demonstrates how the Lord turns our humility into grace, and how &#8220;love covers a multitude of sins,&#8221; as St. Peter said. <span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23255_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23255_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23255_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23255_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23255_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23255_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">cf. 1 Pet 4:8<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23255_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23255_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> But he also wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, \u201cYou shall be holy, for I am holy.&#8221; (1 Pet 1:14-16)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-select-like-a-boss=\"1\">We are living in an era of great compromise where everyone now is a victim, right? We are no longer <em>sinners<\/em>, just victims of genetics, victims of hormones, victims of our environment, our circumstances and so forth. While these things can play a part in reducing our culpability in sin, when we use them as an excuse, they also have the effect of white-washing our responsibility to repent and to become the man or woman God made us to be\u2014that He died on the Cross to\u00a0make possible. This victim mentality is turning many, at best, into lukewarm souls. But St. Faustina wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient soul.\u00a0<\/strong> \u2014<em>Divine Mercy in My Soul, <\/em>Diary, n. 113<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In fact, brothers and sisters, it is the negligence of the small things that eventually blinds us to the bigger, thus casting our hearts into more darkness than light, more restlessness than peace, more dis-satisfaction than joy. Moreover, our sins obscure the light of Jesus from shining through us. Yes, becoming holy isn&#8217;t just about me\u2014it&#8217;s about being a light to a broken world.<\/p>\n<p>One day, Faustina wrote how much the Lord desired\u00a0the perfection of souls:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong><em>Chosen souls are, in My hand, lights which I cast into the darkness of the world and with which I illumine it. As stars illumine the night, so chosen souls illumine the earth. And the more perfect a soul is, the stronger and the more far-reaching is the light shed by it. It can be hidden and unknown, even to those closest to it, and yet its holiness is reflected in souls even to the most distant extremities of the world. <\/em><\/strong>\u2014<em>Divine Mercy in My Soul, <\/em>Diary, n. 1601<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em>You, <\/em>my brothers and sisters, are the<em> chosen souls<\/em> at this time in the world. I have no doubt about this. If you feel small and incapable, then all the more reason that you have been chosen (see <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/hope-is-dawning\/\">Hope is Dawning<\/a><\/em>). We are the little army of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-new-gideon\/\">The New Gideon<\/a>. <\/em><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_23255_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23255_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_23255_1('footnote_plugin_reference_23255_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_23255_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23255_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">see <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-new-gideon\/\">The New Gideon<\/a><\/em> and <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-testing\/\">The Testing<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_23255_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_23255_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> This Lenten Retreat is about equipping you to begin growing in perfection so that you can carry the Flame of Love, who is Jesus, into the growing darkness of our times.<\/p>\n<p>You know what to do now when you stumble and fall, and that is turn to Christ&#8217;s mercy with total trust, especially through the Sacrament of Penance. But in the last half of this Lenten Retreat, we will focus more on how to keep from falling into sin, by His grace. And this is His desire too, for Jesus\u00a0already prayed to the Father&#8230;.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">&#8230;that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one&#8230; (John 17:22-23)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>SUMMARY AND SCRIPTURE<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><strong>You will be your happiest when you are holiest\u2014and the world will see Jesus in you. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, mono; font-size: small;\">I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"CENTER\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-23259\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/light-in-darkness-1.jpg\" alt=\"light-in-darkness\" width=\"251\" height=\"166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/light-in-darkness-1.jpg 449w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/light-in-darkness-1-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 251px) 100vw, 251px\" \/><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/store.markmallett.com\/donate\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Donateovalbtnonbeige.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"112\" height=\"48\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">To join Mark in this Lenten Retreat,<em><br \/>\n <\/em>click on the banner below to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\">subscribe<\/a>. <br \/>\n Your email will not be shared with anyone.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-22766\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/mark-rosary-Main-banner.jpg\" alt=\"mark-rosary Main banner\" width=\"408\" height=\"270\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.denisemallett.com\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16016 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Tree-Book.jpg\" alt=\"Tree Book\" width=\"265\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Tree-Book.jpg 446w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Tree-Book-238x300.jpg 238w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 265px) 100vw, 265px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.denisemallett.com\">The Tree<\/a> <\/em>by Denise Mallett\u00a0has been stunning reviewers. I am more than excited to share\u00a0my daughter&#8217;s first novel. I laughed, I cried, and the imagery, characters, and powerful story-telling continue to linger in my soul. An\u00a0instant classic!<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n <span style=\"font-family: impact, sans-serif;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><em>The Tree<\/em> is an extremely well-written and engaging novel. Mallett has penned a truly epic human and theological tale of adventure, love, intrigue, and the search for ultimate truth and meaning. If this book is ever made into a movie\u2014and it should be\u2014the world need only surrender to the truth of the everlasting message.<\/strong> <br \/>\n \u2014Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, <em>author &amp; speaker<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><br \/>\n Calling Denise Mallett an incredibly gifted author is an understatement! <em>The Tree<\/em> is captivating and beautifully written. I keep on asking myself, \u201cHow can somebody write something like this?\u201d Speechless.<\/strong> <br \/>\n \u2014Ken Yasinski, <em>Catholic speaker, author &amp; founder of FacetoFace Ministries<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.denisemallett.com\">NOW AVAILABLE! Order today<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.denisemallett.com\">!<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"LEFT\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"LEFT\"><span style=\"font-family: impact, sans-serif;\">Listen to the podcast of today&#8217;s reflection:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_736\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-23255-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/On-Christian-Perfection.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/On-Christian-Perfection.mp3\">https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/On-Christian-Perfection.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/On-Christian-Perfection.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?powerpress_pinw=23255-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/On-Christian-Perfection.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"On-Christian-Perfection.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_23255_1();\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_23255_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_23255_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_23255_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\"><h5>Footnotes<\/h5><\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23255_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23255_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23255_1_1');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">cf. 1 Pet 4:8<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_23255_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_23255_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_23255_1_2');\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_plugin_link\" ><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">see <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-new-gideon\/\">The New Gideon<\/a><\/em> and <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-testing\/\">The Testing<\/a><\/em><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_23255_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_23255_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_23255_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_23255_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_23255_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_23255_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_23255_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_23255_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_23255_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_23255_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_23255_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_23255_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_23255_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_23255_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LENTEN RETREAT Day 20 \u00a0 SOME might find this the most intimidating\u00a0and discouraging Scripture in the Bible. Be\u00a0perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:48)\u00a0 Why would Jesus say\u00a0such a thing to mere mortals like you and me who grapple daily with doing God&#8217;s will? Because to be holy as God is holy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1280],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-journal","category-lent-retreat"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>On Christian Perfection - The Now Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/on-christian-perfection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"On Christian Perfection - The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"LENTEN RETREAT Day 20 \u00a0 SOME might find this the most intimidating\u00a0and discouraging Scripture in the Bible. Be\u00a0perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matt 5:48)\u00a0 Why would Jesus say\u00a0such a thing to mere mortals like you and me who grapple daily with doing God&#8217;s will? 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