THE STATE OF PERFECTION
Speaking one day to the multitude, Our Lord likened the Kingdom of
Heaven "to a merchant seeking good pearls, who, finding one pearl of
great price, went away and sold everything he had and bought it."
(Matt. xiii: 45-46.) What is this precious pearl that so charmed the
merchant as to make him sacrifice all he had to gain possession of it?
It is doubtless the true Church, or faith in Christ, but theologians
apply the parable also to the highest union with God by charity, or
Christian perfection. Perfection, then, may be called this lustrous
pearl, more precious and radiant than any which gleams in royal
diadem. You may buy it, but the price is the same to all. You must
offer in exchange all that you have, keeping nothing back. Are you
willing to make the bargain?
There have been many Christians throughout the centuries who were
enamored of this perfection. They sighed and longed for it, but, alas!
the conditions in which they lived, the temptations that lay about
them, the cares of raising a family and struggling for a livelihood,
so engrossed their attention and seduced their affections, that they
almost despaired of living entirely for God, and thus attaining
perfection. A young man of high aspirations one day came to Jesus, and
asked Him what he must do to gain eternal life. The Master replied,
"Keep the commandments." But the young man was not satisfied with
this; he wished to do something more for heaven, as we learn from his
reply, "All these have I kept from my youth; what is still wanting to
me?" Then Jesus spoke the memorable words that have echoed down the
ages, "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to
the poor . . . and come, follow me." (Matt. xix: 21.)
The questioner, so the Scripture records, went away sorrowful, for he
had great wealth. He was willing, no doubt, to give alms and
bountifully, but to sacrifice all his possessions and live in
poverty--this was beyond his generosity. Christ's advice, however, has
not fallen by the wayside. Theologians tell us that in His brief words
Our Lord indicated the evangelical life, which He elsewhere explained
more fully, bidding the youth become poor and then come and follow
Him in perfect chastity and obedience (Suarez, "De Religione," lib.
iii, c. 2).
The teaching thus presented by Christ has never been fruitless in the
Church. Myriads of chosen souls, more magnanimous than the young man,
have heeded the Saviour's admonition and hastened to sacrifice all for
His sake. The nature of the evangelical life--so called because taught
in the "Evangelium," the Latin word for Gospel--consists in the
practice of the three counsels, voluntary poverty, perfect chastity
and obedience. And why is the exercise of these three counsels so
excellent? Because by them a Christian parts with everything that is
most pleasing to mere nature. By poverty he renounces his possessions
and the right of ownership; by perfect chastity, the pleasures of the
body; and by obedience, his free will. Could one do more than to give
up everything he owns, and then complete the renunciation by
dedicating his body, aye, his very soul, to Christ? Nothing is left
that he may call his own. He is a stranger in the world, without home,
parents or family, money or earthly ties; he is all to God, and God is
all to him.
While a person may be in the _way_ of perfection, by observing the
counsels privately, with or without a vow, if he takes perpetual vows
in a religious order or congregation approved by the Church, he is in
what is called "the _state_ of perfection," or "the religious state."
The vows give a final touch to the holocaust in either case, since by
them he offers all he has and is and forever, so that it becomes
unlawful for him to retract his offering. He who exemplifies all
Christian virtues to a high degree of excellence, according to his
condition of life, may be called perfect, and to this perfection all
Christians are called. But, religious, that is, they who live in the
religious state, bind themselves by _profession_ to aim at living a
perfect life. They have heeded Christ's invitation, "If thou wilt be
perfect," and engaged themselves, under the sanction of the Church, to
the obligation of striving for perfection.
No one could claim that all religious men and women are actually
perfect; but they are in the state of perfection--that is, by virtue
of their state and profession they are bound to the observance of
their vows and rules, which observance, in the course of time, will be
able to lead them to the attainment of such perfection as weak
mortals, with God's grace, can hope to acquire in this life. In
response to Christ's exhortations, we find throughout the world to-day
a great army of religious men and women, white-robed Dominicans,
brown-garbed Franciscans, followers of St. Benedict, St. Augustine,
St. Alphonsus, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. De la Salle, the Blessed
Madeleine Sophie Barat, Julie Billiart, Jean Eudes, and of numerous
other saints, who, under the standards of their varied institutes,
march steadily in the footprints of the lowly Nazarene, Who had not
whereon to lay His head.
The ambitious Christian boy and girl, then, will aim at doing their
best, and must, if they desire close companionship with Christ, strive
after perfection, for such is the Master's desire. But should a youth
have further ambitions, and say to himself, "I desire to distinguish
myself in God's service, to lead for Him a life of action and
achievement, wherein my exertions will bring amplest returns for
eternity," will he refuse to consider the life of the counsels? Will
he not rather ask himself whether this manner of life is practicable,
and possibly even meant and intended for him? Choose then, my young
friend, your sphere of life but deliberately and carefully,
remembering that on your decision will largely depend your greater
happiness in this world and the next.