What is "state of perfection"?
score:4
Accepted answer
cf. Fr. Hardon, S.J.'s definition of "state of perfection" as
Referring to St. Thomas Aquinas's De perfectione vitæ spiritualis c. 15, Fr. Royo Marín, O.P., in La vida religiosa p. 116, defines "state of perfection" in general:
States of Christian perfection are those whose members are obliged in a permanent and stable manner, through certain means,* to acquire Christian perfection or to exercise it for the good of others.
[Son aquellos estados de vida cristiana cuyos miembros se obligan de una manera permanente y estable, mediante determinados medios, a adquirir la perfección cristiana o a ejercitarla en bien de los demás.]
*such as a rule approved by the Church, like St. Benedict's Rule or St. Augustine's Rule
Thus, "state of perfection" can be divided into that for
- acquiring perfection
- Religious life, whose primary object is God.
cf. Summa Theologica II-II q. 186 a. 1 "Whether religion implies a state of perfection?"
- Religious life, whose primary object is God.
- exercising perfection for the good of others
- Episcopal state, whose object is the good of others out of the love of God.
St. Thomas's articles on the question of the state of perfection in general (Summa Theologica II-II q. 184) are well worth reading. Relevant here are articles
1. Whether the perfection of the Christian life consists chiefly in charity?
A thing is said to be perfect in so far as it attains its proper end, which is the ultimate perfection thereof. Now it is charity that unites us to God, Who is the last end of the human mind, since "he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him" (1 Jn. 4:16). Therefore the perfection of the Christian life consists radically in charity.
4. Whether whoever is perfect is in the state of perfection?
properly speaking, one is said to be in the state of perfection, not through having the act of perfect love, but through binding himself in perpetuity and with a certain solemnity to those things that pertain to perfection.
cf. II-II q. 186 a. 1 ad 3: "it does not follow that whoever is in the state of perfection is already perfect, but that he tends to perfection." Even those who struggle upholding the 10 Commandments are permitted to enter religion, because "the religious state is a spiritual schooling for the attainment of the perfection of charity," "accomplished through the removal of the obstacles to perfect charity by religious observances" (II-II q. 189 a. 1 co.).7. Whether the religious state is more perfect than that of prelates [bishops]?
As Augustine says (Gen. ad lit. xii, 16), "the agent is ever more excellent than the patient." Now in the genus of perfection according to Dionysius (Eccl. Hier. v, vi), bishops are in the position of "perfecters," whereas religious are in the position of being "perfected"; the former of which pertains to action, and the latter to passion. Whence it is evident that the state of perfection is more excellent in bishops than in religious.
It is from the abundance of their love of God that bishops are able to love their flock. This is why Jesus first asked St. Peter if he loved him and then commanded him to feed His flock (John 21:15-17).
cf. Fr. Hardon, S.J.'s definition of "state of perfection" as
Those stable forms of living in which some of the faithful bind themselves by vows, or promises equivalent to vows, to practice the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They are called states of perfection because those who live in these states agree to follow a particular rule of life, approved by the Church, whose faithful observance will certainly lead to Christian perfection.
More post
- 📝 How pure were the witnesses of the martyrs?
- 📝 How do you defend the first clause of the Kalam Cosmological Argument?
- 📝 How did the early Christians and Apostles Get into the temple? Shouldn't they have been stoned by the Jews for preaching Jesus as God?
- 📝 How could I bring up security concerns at the church that I attend?
- 📝 How do "Sola Fide" adherents reconcile with the three aspects of faith?
- 📝 Were the sins of the Israelites forgiven with the animal sacrifices or simply held in abeyance until Jesus death on the cross?
- 📝 Are Paul's letters to be taken as God's word?
- 📝 Why was Zachariah punished while Mary was not?
- 📝 What is the Christian perspective on survival needs not met?
- 📝 What happens to Jesus when received in a unworthy manner in the Eucharist?
- 📝 How did God speak in Genesis?
- 📝 What New Testament events after Pentecost have been claimed to have typological precursors in the Old Testament?
- 📝 If I'm not Catholic, will a Catholic priest bless my home?
- 📝 What does the parable of the "goodman of the house" mean?
- 📝 What is meant by "Get behind me Satan"?
- 📝 Can we really claim to have the power of God's heritage?
- 📝 What evidence is there (if any) for the title 'Son of Man' in the New Testament to apply only to Jesus' earthly ministry to the Jews?
- 📝 What is the 70 weeks prophesied in Daniel chapter nine?
- 📝 Is Asia in the Bible the Asia of today?
- 📝 In 1943, the Russian Orthodox Church permitted the women's name Svetlana. Was it made specifically for Stalin's daughter?
- 📝 Is it wrong for a Christian to prefer (within the body of Christ) a marriage partner of a race different than his own?
- 📝 Should one avoid fasting during Easter?
- 📝 What Defines an Early Church Father?
- 📝 Why is the pace of the “oration” in the Traditional Latin Mass so brisk?
- 📝 What is the meaning of "let the dead bury their dead"?
- 📝 How do Latter-day Saints respond to the non-LDS argument that Joseph Smith's death was not comparable to the martyrdom of the ancient apostles?
- 📝 Is it possible (intellectually honest) to 'contextualise' the 'anti-divorce' passages, but not the 'anti-h*m*sexual' ones?
- 📝 In what language were the four Gospels and Paul's writings originally written?
- 📝 How do Christians who believe that Jesus preached to the dead in Sheol justify reversing the chronological order of verses 18 & 19 of 1 Peter 3?
- 📝 What is the basis for arguing that Paul should have been selected as the 12th apostle instead of Matthias?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the doctrine of the Trinity?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the claim that abortion is immoral?
- 📝 What major translations of the Bible are in the Public Domain?
- 📝 What happens to people who have never heard about Jesus?
- 📝 What is the basis for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis to claim that masturbation is a sin?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the concept that Jesus spent time in Hell?
- 📝 What is the biblical justification for permitting female pastors?
- 📝 What is the basis of my fractured understanding of "Sola Scriptura"?
- 📝 What is an overview of the main interpretations of "day" in Genesis 1?
- 📝 How can the Son not know what the Father knows?
- 📝 What is unique about Christianity?
- 📝 What do Christians mean by a "personal relationship" with Jesus?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for Jesus being God incarnate?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for Total Depravity?
- 📝 What evidence is there that Jesus was a carpenter?
- 📝 To what extent does the Law of Moses still apply?
- 📝 What extrabiblical sources support the existence of Jesus in history?
- 📝 What happened to the tribe of Dan in Revelation?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for believing in the Book of Mormon?
- 📝 From a Fundamentalist standpoint, what does the phrase "Inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God" mean?
- 📝 Do we have to obey the laws of the bible? If so, what laws?
- 📝 What does the bible say about h*m*sexuality?
- 📝 What were Martin Luther's opinions on the Crusades?
- 📝 What Protestant arguments exist for the perpetual virginity of Mary?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for saying Lucifer is an angel?
- 📝 What is the Roman Catholic view on Matthew 23:9?
- 📝 What is a Christian's justification for a legal prohibition of h*m*sexual marriage?
- 📝 What is the difference between Evangelical and Protestant?
- 📝 What is significant about the torn curtain? What about Jesus' death impressed the centurion at the cross?