Striving for perfection

“Father, I have been reading a number of things these days for my prayer…,” Chuck said.
“So what have you been getting so far?” Father Kevin asked.
“I can’t really call it ‘getting’ but it’s strange that the word perfect keeps popping out everywhere,” Chuck gave the priest a very puzzled look.
“In what way, Chuck?”
“I mean when I read the Bible it’s there… then I read this other book and the new one you recommended… the same word just keeps coming out…!”
“So what do you think it means?”
“I can’t really say, Father. But is it really possible to be perfect? I mean, like not committing mistakes or errors?”
“True, but that may only be our way of understanding it,” Father Kevin explained.
“What do you mean ‘our way,’ Father?”
“I believe that if man is not aiming for perfection or holiness (which is what it ultimately means in the Christian sense) then he would be, as a saint once said, wasting his time and entire life.”
“Really?”
“It is our sole purpose, and only God could make us holy. On our part, we have to try our best to correspond to grace,” Father Kevin brushed the few strands of hair over his balding head.
“But isn’t it a little too much?”
“You know Chuck,” Father Kevin cleared his throat, “I’m getting some good ideas from your question.”
“Ideas?”
“I meant, interesting insights as we talk about perfection.”
“Like what, Father?”
“Well, do you recall our Lord telling His disciples to ‘be perfect as their Heavenly Father is perfect’?”
“I do…and that was one verse that I couldn’t get out of my mind. Can we even reach that standard, Father Kevin?”
“Well, if our Lord Himself invited His Apostles to it, then it’s something possible. And second, I believe that being a good Father, God reveals that He cannot be pleased but with our holiness, which is fully attained when we are united with Him in Heaven.”
“So exactly what kind of perfection would God want of us here, Father?”
“Since we are now in the Christmas season, it is easier to understand by learning from the figures of Mary and Joseph,” Father Kevin’s face revealed a spark of excitement.
“Okay….”
“Mary and Joseph were the closest persons to God in the Incarnate Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. And they already had God with them physically: wrapping Him with swaddling clothes, feeding Him, and lovingly cuddling Him in their arms. Imagine this! Yet, Mary and Joseph were not yet perfect!”
“But Mary had no original sin, so She’s pretty perfect already, right?” Chuck clarified.
“That’s a nice way to describe our Lady, pretty perfect!” Father Kevin laughed.
“I hope that wasn’t anything offensive, Father,” Chuck asked.
“Of course not. That She had no sin, didn’t mean She was already perfect. In fact, Her not having original sin gave Her more possibilities to become more perfect!”
“That’s called perfecter!”
“Stop fooling around, Chuck!” Father Kevin gently stabbed Chuck in the ribs.
“Sorry….” Chuck squirmed and giggled.
“Now, seriously…. I believe this is how we could understand what Jesus said about being perfect, as His Father is perfect,” the priest said.
Chuck gaped at Father Kevin and was all ears.
“It can be read as ‘strive not for the sake of perfection, but strive with a sincere desire and childlike effort, with My Father’s grace, to only please Him,’” Father Kevin concluded.
“Huh? How is that supposed to mean becoming perfect?” Chuck was a little confused with Father Kevin’s reflections.
“Perhaps what Pope Francis shared on his 78th birthday last December 17th will enlighten us more. He said: ‘Jesus stayed in that periphery [Nazareth] for 30 years… Someone might say: ‘He wasted so many years! He willed this. Jesus’ way was in that family… There is no talk of miracles and healings, of preaching – he did not do any in that time. At Nazareth, everything seemed to be happening ‘normally’ in keeping with the customs of a pious and hardworking Jewish family: they worked, the Mother cooked, and did all the things of the house, ironed shirts … everything a mother does. The Father, a carpenter, worked and taught his son to work –  for 30 years. ‘But what a waste, Father!’ God’s ways are mysterious. However, what was important there was the family! And this was not a waste! They were great Saints: Mary, the holiest woman, immaculate, and Joseph, the most just man… the family.’”
“That’s becoming perfect?”
“Not for the sake of perfection, but the person’s constant effort towards perfection, which is what pleases most our Father God because we count on His sanctifying grace in literally everything we do.”
“So you’re saying that while on earth, like Mary and Joseph, we ought to strive for the higher things, through the lowliest realities of our daily lives,” Chuck said.
“You got that perfectly right!” Father Kevin gave him a thumbs up.