Be therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew
5:48)
Exactly What Does That Mean?
How Is That Possible For a Mere Mortal?
Exactly What Does That Mean?
How Is That Possible For a Mere Mortal?
PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to assist the Faithful in understanding - thus strive to live - the Word of God and not "discard" what appears, due to a failed Evangelization, an impossibility.
Also, we will share with the Faithful Lights given by God that bring total illumination to such an understanding.
BACKGROUND
What appears an impossibility is not impossible at all. However, we must keep clearly in mind that in our journey through Time we will never fully attain our Ultimate Goal - the individual exalted state that God has reserved for His Elect. This cannot be fully achieved in Time because the Goal will only be fully attained in Eternity - but we can, and should, work toward it as we journey through Time.
That is, when it is said "be this" or "do that" or "do not do thus" it must always be understood as: "strive to be this" or "strive to do that" or "strive not to do thus" - Strive with all your heart while seeking God's assistance in achieving the desired objective.
The components to the basic understanding of that command may be found, of course, in the Sacred Scriptures.
Let us review what God said to Moses:
Be ye holy, because I the Lord your God am holy. [Lev 19:2]
You shall not steal. You shall not lie, neither shall any man deceive his neighbour. Thou shalt not swear falsely by my name, nor profane the name of thy God. I am the Lord. Thou shalt not calumniate thy neighbour, nor oppress him by violence. The wages of him that hath been hired by thee shall not abide with thee until the morning. Thou shalt not speak evil of the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind: but thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, because I am the Lord. Thou shalt not do that which is unjust, nor judge unjustly. Respect not the person of the poor, nor honour the countenance of the mighty. But judge thy neighbour according to justice.
Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him. Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord. Keep ye my laws. [Lev 19: 11-18]
You shall not steal. You shall not lie, neither shall any man deceive his neighbour. Thou shalt not swear falsely by my name, nor profane the name of thy God. I am the Lord. Thou shalt not calumniate thy neighbour, nor oppress him by violence. The wages of him that hath been hired by thee shall not abide with thee until the morning. Thou shalt not speak evil of the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind: but thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, because I am the Lord. Thou shalt not do that which is unjust, nor judge unjustly. Respect not the person of the poor, nor honour the countenance of the mighty. But judge thy neighbour according to justice.
Thou shalt not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him. Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. Thou shalt love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord. Keep ye my laws. [Lev 19: 11-18]
Let us now review what God assures us through Isaiah:
Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the needy and the harbourless into thy house: when thou
shalt see one naked, cover him, and despise not thy own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as
the morning, and thy health shall speedily arise, and thy justice shall go before thy face, and
the glory of the Lord shall gather thee up. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall hear: thou
shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou wilt take away the chain out of the midst of thee,
and cease to stretch out the finger, and to speak that which profiteth not. When thou shalt pour
out thy soul to the hungry, and shalt satisfy the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise up in
darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the noonday. And the Lord will give thee rest continually,
and will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered
garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail. [Isaiah 58:
7-11]
We cannot say that these requirements are really that hard - yet - they seem to be quite difficult to attain by far too many brethren. Why? Because we must first fulfill the First Commandment: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.
Next, we must understand that it is impossible for man to achieve such a lofty goal as the First Commandment on his own, but we are told what to do about it:
Therefore I say unto you, all things, whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall
receive; and they shall come unto you. [Mark 11:24]
Because:
With men it is impossible; but not with God: for all things are possible with God.
[Mark 10:27]
DETAILS
The reader may say "Fine, but I still do not see how we can be perfect as the Father is perfect".
That is certainly a valid statement, however, you may soon, not only know, but also understand how it works.
We repeat once again - Man will never become Christ. What we hope for is to abide in Him (Christ). Since He and the Father are One, it then logically follows that we will then abide in the Father too..
I and the Father are one. [John 10:30]
I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. [John 15:5-6]
If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. [John 14:23]
I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. [John 15:5-6]
If any one love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and will make our abode with him. [John 14:23]
Now - exactly what does it mean "...make our abode with him"? It means that God will live within him. Notice, we stated "within" and not "with".
Allow us to explain.
You take a teaspoon of oil (your soul) and place it in an infinite volume of water (God - Who contains all). You will be able to see that - as the saying goes - "oil and water just do not mix"; i.e. they are inmiscible. (1)
Now, by increasing the temperature of the mix, the affinity of the oil for the water starts increasing and the oil starts "dissolving" into the water.
As heat is applied, more of the oil dissolves [becoming totally miscible (1)] within the body of water, and soon the oil will be totally absorbed by the water mass.... yet, if one runs a chemical analysis, two distinct components (natures) will be found: oil and water. That is, the oil did not turn into water.
If the "oil" was your soul and the "water" was God.... you have now become "One with God" and "Perfect as the Father is perfect".
From that position - in which appears as if your soul ceased to exist, yet it has not - you now have attained everything - God, yet there still are two distinct natures : Divine and human.
The best part of this is that said "miracle" can be worked by ourselves if we strive to.....
....not steal. ....not lie, neither shall deceive.... .....not swear falsely by my name, nor
profane the name of thy God. I am the Lord. ....not calumniate thy neighbour, nor oppress him by
violence. .... not speak evil of the deaf, not put a stumbling block before the blind: .....love
the Lord thy God, because I am the Lord. .....not do that which is unjust, nor judge unjustly.
Respect the person of the poor, not preferentially honour the countenance of the mighty - but
judge each according to justice.
....not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. ....not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord. ....not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him. Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. ...love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord. Keep ye my laws. [From Lev 19: 11-18]
....not be a detractor nor a whisperer among the people. ....not stand against the blood of thy neighbour. I am the Lord. ....not hate thy brother in thy heart, but reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him. Seek not revenge, nor be mindful of the injury of thy citizens. ...love thy friend as thyself. I am the Lord. Keep ye my laws. [From Lev 19: 11-18]
For when you do that "....ye shall be holy..." and just as the oil and water merged, your soul will merge with God.
CONCLUSION
It really is that simple!
NOTES
(1) Miscible: Relating to two or more substances, such as
water and alcohol, that can be mixed together or can dissolve into one another in any proportion
without separating nor losing its chemical characteristics (nature). As opposed to immiscible - as
oil and water which are incapable of being mixed.
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En Español: Sed perfectos como vuestro Padre celestial es perfecto - ¿Qué significa?
Published on February 20th, 2008 - Our Lady of Tears
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