Homiletic Pastoral Review: From imperfect to perfect

Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J., editor of Homiletic and Pastoral Review, has a marvelous editorial in the February, 2008 edition. Here is just a snippet of this editorial:

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Perfection for the Christian, no matter which group he belongs to—priest, religious or lay—consists in the imitation of Christ. Jesus Christ is the model. He was and is perfect in every virtue and it is virtue that makes a man good. He tells us, “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11:29).

Is perfection attainable for weak human beings? The answer is yes, but only with the grace of God, universal charity, the practice of the Beatitudes and letting the Holy Spirit work in us through his Seven Gifts. As the Christian striving for perfection gets closer to the goal, he or she is filled with love for God and man and radiates the joy that is manifested in the Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit. We are all called to strive for perfection and it is important to pray every day for the grace to achieve it. There is nothing in this life more important than attaining perfection in imitation of Christ our Lord.

Read it in its entirety!