TODAY'S TERM: IMPERFECTIONS
Habitual imperfections when known, recognized, and voluntary, impede one from reaching the freedom of union. Souls may have many also with regard to their spiritual practices and works. Some are more to the surface; others more deeply rooted in the spirit and less perceptible. The dark night purges the soul of its habitual imperfections.
From the Collected Works of St. John of the Cross
From an Examinaiton of Conscience
by Fr. Robert Altier
Imperfections are not sins so they do not need to be confessed. It is not always easy to make the distinction between venial sins and imperfections. Some things are imperfections because they are very small, other things are imperfections because they are dispositions of the soul and not willful actions or failures, still others because they are habitual. It is good to be aware of imperfections because as one grows in the spiritual life, the imperfections, voluntary and involuntary become areas where attention must be given in prayer. For this reason a few examples of imperfections are included here.
*Trying to control things rather than seek God's will
*Embarassment of being Catholic
*Failure to defend the Church when ridiculed
*Not trying to practice recollection or the frequent remembrance of God's presence
*Failing to spend extra time on Sunday in prayer and study of the Faith
*Not trying to cultivate peace in the family
*Taking one's spouse for granted
*Impatience
*Smoking or chewing tobacco (when it is a habit)
*Lack of punctuality
*Failure to pray for deceased parents and relatives
*Failure to pray for sinners
Let us pray for each other!
Peace be with you!
Rosemarie
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