God Perfecting Us

“Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:43-48).  As I prayed over this Scripture passage and recalled last night’s faith-sharing session with the Sisters with whom I live, the thought occurred to me that, in our younger years, when, as novices in training for religious profession, we were told to strive for perfection, we were focusing incorrectly.  Why? Because, for me, the focus was on me, not on
God.  God alone is capable of bringing us to perfection. Without God at work perfecting us in His love, we are incapable of reaching any kind of perfection.

I asked myself in prayer how God is perfect. The following thoughts surfaced, namely, that God is perfect:

·         In love,

·         In compassion,

·         In fidelity to His promises,

·         In forgiveness,

·         In mercy,

·         In justice,

·         In truthfulness,

·         In respect for our freedom,

·         In knowing when we have chosen a path that does not lead to freedom.

I then asked God to show me how his perfection reveals itself in my life. The following response was given to me:

·         In your desire for perfection,

·         In the fact that I never  abandon you when you go astray. I am faithful to who I am:

o   A God of compassion,

o   A God of love,

o   A God of truth,

o   A God of mercy,

o   A God who is ever-present,

o   A God who is ever-knowing,

o   A God who is ever-loving,

o   A God who is ever-merciful,

o   A God who is ever-generous,

o   A God who is ever accepting, quick to show mercy and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and fidelity.

Thank you, Lord, for this reminder of what it means to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”