HOW TO BE PERFECT LIKE GOD, By Fr Oluwafemi Victor, CSSp

HOMILY OF THE SATURDAY OF THE 1ST WEEK OF LENT

Deuteronomy 26:16-19, Matthew 5:43-48

THEME: HOW TO BE PERFECT LIKE GOD

QUOTE: “Man’s perfection is a journey and not just a state we attain once and for all.”

Man’s perfection is gotten from the perfection of God in whose image he was made. human perfection is a journey and not just a state we attain once and for all.

In today’s Gospel, the Lord says, “You must therefore be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Here, the word “perfect is derived from the Greek word, “teleios” which means, an end, a purpose, an aim, or a goal.

“Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love”. Eph 1:4.

Our perfection lies in our efforts to be like Christ. We have been chosen to be formed in the image of Christ, in whom is the full revelation of God the Father. This is our purpose, to be like Christ. Making daily efforts towards achieving this aim is the realization of our goal in life.

Therefore, Jesus invites us to imitate the  unconditional and undiscriminating love of God. He is an impartial Father. He wants the best for everyone.

God has a covenant of love with us. As we keep his commandments, his will in our lives comes to fruition. We can only listen to Jesus if we love him. This entails keeping his commandments. He said, “you must love God and love your neighbour as yourself.” And in today’s gospel, he says, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest men alike”

The call to love is a commandment of God, which goes with special and covenant promises.

“But only if you keep all his commandments; then for praise and renown and honour he will set you high above all the nations he has made, and you will be a people consecrated to the Lord, as he promised.”

As we make daily efforts to be like God, may the evidence of our transformation bring more people closer to him. Amen.