March 2
Perfection
rue perfection
does not consist in abandoning a life of sin as a slave might for fear
of punishment; nor in doing good in the hope of receiving a reward. Expecting
the virtuous life to yield a profit would be making it a matter of trade
and commerce. No, it seems to me that to be perfect we must look beyond
even the hoped-for blessings which we have been promised are stored up
for us. Our only fear should be the loss of God's friendship, and the only
honor or pleasure we covet should be that of becoming God's friend. You
can attain such perfection—and I know that you will attain it abundantly—if
you raise your mind to the majesty of God. The gain will surely be shared
by all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
From John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., Tradition Day by Day: Readings from
Church Writers. Augustinian Press. Villanova, PA, 1994.
HTML text prepared by David P. Steelman
