With all due respect to Catholics, may I ask how you *know* if someone is perfect?

Question

In my last question, I don't really think people answered *how* they *know* other people are perfect. I understand that, by their estimation, God's grace can make us perfect on this earth. I personally believe we won't be perfect til we get to Heaven, and recieve glorified perfect bodies. But I'd like to know, just for learning's sake, how Catholics *know* someone is perfect. Thanks!

Answer 1

First off, I consider myself a Southern Baptist.

Secondly, I would like to notify you that I'm not opposed(and I'm beginning to support) the notion that one CAN become 'perfect'(I don't know that 'perfect' is really the correct term) after receiving God's grace, and going through sanctification.

Finally, to answer your question, I don't think you can tell if someone is perfect. But why do you need to? All you really need to worry about is yourself. And if you're asking, "how can you tell if YOU are perfect", well, that's not really something that you look into. You don't wonder if you're perfect. Just try and be perfect.

Matthew 5:48

"Therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Answer 2

Ph 3:12

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Answer 3

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the only perfect human creature ever created by God.  She was conceived free from original sin, and never sinned throughout her entire life.  You can know this, too, if you pray the rosary and ask Mary for the grace to understand her unique privilege of the Immaculate Conception.

http://www.medjugorje.org/rosary.htm

The fifteen promises of Mary to Christians who recite the rosary:

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against h**l, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.

6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in Paradise.

9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.

11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.

12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire Celestial Court during their life and at the hour of death.

14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son, Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

God bless!

Fred

Answer 4

Perfect = mature.

There is no way to measure perfection; this is God's business entirely.

Answer 5

I'd like to hear this one too.

Answer 6

Who said Catholics claim to know who is perfect?  Are you asking about Saints in heaven?  In that case, people ask the deceased person who lived a holy life to intercede with God for some favor.  If that person is in heaven with God, they are connected to us through the Communion of Saints, and they can hear our prayers and God can hear them.  Two miracles performed after intercession to the deceased person are used to show that the Church can believe they're in heaven, and we can call them a Saint.

Your statements are actually very close to Catholic understanding of salvation.  In accordance with the bible, we believe that we are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved.  (Paul says we must run the race and persevere to the end.)  Our earthly life is a process of perfection that will be fully complete when we join God in His glory in heaven.

Answer 7

No one can be perfect. People CAN be close, however, by trying to be, and staying true.

Answer 8

Hello,

No matter how hard we try on this earth, nobody is perfect and I have never heard a Catholic or anyone else ever say that to date.

Cheers,

Michael Kelly

Answer 9

there is no way anyone can be perfect.  We are all sinners thanks to Adam and Eve.

Answer 10

Stop trying to get answers out of the blind.

No one is perfect. No earthy being can phathom perfection. That is why perfectionists always have high blood pressure and heart disease; they are trying to achieve an unapproachable goal of godliness that only "God" can be.

Answer 11

I didn't see your last question but i will tell you this, No person on this earth is perfect no matter how many people profess to be we ALL have our faults and sins. There are people that reached perfection in their way of life such as Saint Theresa who did nothing but good for those who were needy and poor.

Answer 12

Except for Jesus and Mary, nobody in heaven has a glorified body as yet, but all those in heaven must be perfect, because you can't get in there, otherwise.

As for perfection on this earth ... anyone who takes proper advantage of all the sacraments and devotions of the church can experience a state of holy perfection in Jesus Christ for a limited time ... typically around 15 minutes ... perhaps much longer ... at least twice each day.

Answer 13

If you would like more answers, consider asking around this site as well...

http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay....

Answer 14

I think the thing to do is consider the definition of "perfect(ion)" as it pertains to Catholic theology.

PERFECT - Whole or complete. What is perfect has all the actual qualities that are proper to its nature or kind. Only God is all perfect. Creatures are more or less perfect as they are more or less what they ought to be, according to their rank or level of being, and among people, according to their age, position, or sate of life. (Etym. Latin perfectus, finished, completed, from perficere, to complete.)

PERFECTION - That in which nothing is lacking which, according to its nature, it should possess. That is absolutely perfect, which in itself has all possible excellence and excludes all deficiencies. Only God is absolutely perfect. That is absolutely perfect. That is relatively perfect which has a finite nature and possesses all the advantages corresponding to its nature. the Church teaches that God is infinite in every perfection. Creatures are as perfect as they are like God, and moral perfection consists in becoming like Christ, who is infinite God in human form.