9781644135945

The Time After Pentecost
gave us inspirations and new graces, that our “charity may more and more abound in knowledge
and understanding; that [we] may approve the better things; that [we] may be sincere and
without offense unto the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of justice [of a holy and perfect life],
through Jesus Christ,” who has merited for us, through His sufferings and death, the grace and
the strength to lead a holy life (Epistle). We are bound to strive after perfection, and we must
reach it individually and as a community. In the liturgy Holy Mother the Church expects us to
attain this goal. “Brethren, we are confident . . . that He who hath begun a good work in you, will
perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus,” that is, unto the day of our death and judgment (Epistle).
In reality, however, we have not attained the perfection expected of us. The Church looks
with anxiety on the multitude of her children whom she has borne to her spouse through the
sacrament of baptism. How great was her joy on Laetare Sunday, on Easter night, and during
Easter week, as she led the newly baptized in their white garments to the altar! How fervently
she prayed for them that these, her “newborn children,” might walk in the way which they
had begun at the time of their baptism! How earnestly she prayed that they might preserve
their baptismal garment without stain, that they might never make themselves unworthy of it!
Today she looks back over the course of the year. How often her hopes and expectations were
disappointed! There has been so much unfaithfulness, so many and such grievous sins in these
her children. She is inspired to cry out with the Psalmist: “If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities,
Lord, who shall stand it?” (Introit.) The heart of the Church is moved to shame and humble
contrition. As she prepares to appear before her spouse today at Mass, like Esther she trembles
with the consciousness of her unworthiness as she approaches her King. “Remember me, O
Lord, Thou who rulest above all power, and give a well-ordered speech in my mouth, that my
words may be pleasing in the sight of the prince” (Offertory). “Grant, O merciful God, that
this saving oblation may unceasingly cleanse us of our faults and defend us from all adversities”
(Secreta). “I have cried to Thee, for Thou, O God, hast heard me. O incline Thy ear unto me
and hear my words” pleading for grace and forgiveness. Today we unite ourselves to the Church
and make her sentiments our own.
The liturgy expects of us perfection and spiritual maturity. Supported and assisted by the grace
of God, we must attain perfection; for Christ Himself desires it. Our task is to grow continually
in faith, in our dependence on His divine providence, in the love of God, in charity. It is God
who carries the principal burden of bringing us to perfection. He leads us to perfection by
sending us trials, tribulations, humiliations, and opportunities to practice fraternal charity. He
perfects us by making us endure spiritual dryness, temptations, and troubles of soul; He sends
us daily crosses and allows us to fall into faults, that we may be humbled. Sometimes He sends
us sickness, failure, and misfortunes. We approach perfection when we allow Him to do with us
as He wills, when we submit willingly to everything that He sends, when we commit ourselves
into His hands without reservation and without fear. When we reach such a point we shall be
“sincere and without offense unto the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of justice” (Epistle).
But how far we still are from such a high degree of perfection!
“Filled with the fruit of justice through Jesus Christ” (Epistle). That is the perfection which
the Church expects of us by the time Christ returns. She expects us to make use of the talents
and graces that have been given to us. We become perfect through the operation of Christ, who
is the head working in His members. We shall be perfect to the extent that we grow in Christ,
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