The Struggle for Perfection

All of us are born with defects and it would do us good to struggle against those defects. That is why we need the grace from the sacraments, especially from the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. On top of these, we need to have a deep interior life, constantly praying for a wise and discerning heart; however, this does not mean that we will immediately have a smooth-sailing life. The struggle is long and hard, but we take heart because God does not lose battles. He already has taken into consideration that there are times when we fail Him.

The numerous skirmishes may render us weak and tired. Any battle-hardened soldier must have been injured or suffered bruises in the course of the fight. However, God is pleased when as often as we fall, we crawl back to Him full of love, ready to reform and fight another day – the stuff of saints!

Moreover, we are prone to mistakes, and therefore, what we ought to do when confronted with our weaknesses or shortcomings is to be humble enough to accept life’s paradoxes and to keep relying on God’s grace. Even the gifts that we receive like wealth, prestige, honor, power, and so forth can turn on us and in the process we even harm not just our own self but others too. This is exactly what happens when our hearts are not with God.

A politician responsible for his constituents is tempted to manipulate the law to his advantage because of the power bestowed on him. Therefore, it is wise to go against this path, as an Ignatian term, “agere contra” meaning, “go against” puts it. In this way, we can be detached from our tendencies emanating from our fallen nature. Furthermore, to ‘go against‘ is to discover the will of God. No wonder the religious have vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to counter greed, sensual pleasure, and power. This detachment also helps them in shepherding the flock to the right path.

The first Adam wanted to live his life on his own terms, resulting in disasters which reverberate till this day. While the second Adam, Jesus, chose obedience, thus gaining for us our freedom.

The inns of Bethlehem at Jesus’ birth, had no room for the Holy Family, may we always find room in our hearts to cherish the Lord with St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother, especially in times of temptation. Finally, the Blessed Mother must have uttered gratefulness toward her spouse, St. Joseph, until the last breath of his earthly life for protecting and providing for her and their Son, Jesus. May we do the same. (Johnny Sulit)