www.frmikescully.com

	BE PERFECT

The Gospel

MATTHEW 5:48

[Jesus said,] “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

The Media

"Friday Night Lights"

final session

During the final session of "Friday Night Lights," Coach Gary Gaines gives perhaps one of the best football speeches that was ever given to a high school football team. Coach Gaines tells his team, "Being perfect is not about that scoreboard. It’s not about winning. It’s about you and your relationship with yourself, your family and your friends. Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t let them down because you told them the truth. And that truth is you did everything you could. There wasn’t one more thing you could have done. Can you live in that moment as best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart? If you can do that, gentlemen, you’re perfect."

The Gospels use the word "perfect" only in Matthew’s Gospel, and Jesus uses it only two times. What did he mean by the word? It seems an impossible task--how is a human being going to be as perfect as God the Father? A person of faith realizes that it is indeed an impossible directive. What Jesus means is that a follower of his must get as close to being perfect as a human being possibly can. Further, just because it is impossible, it does not mean that a follower of Jesus has an excuse not to try it. Christians are called to follow the words of Jesus as best they can, doing everything possible to live the life that Jesus directs, to bring about the Kingdom he preached to their lives.

While the speech given by Coach Gaines in the movie "Friday Night Lights" may be close to the best speech ever given to a high school football team, it is also quite possibly the best explanation of what Jesus Christ meant by the word "perfect." Perfection has to do with truth on the human realm. Being perfect, Coach Gaines explains, is about telling the truth, and the truth is that "you did everything you could."

Coach Gaines gives us both an explanation of the word "perfect" and a Christian challenge for living well. It is one not only for a follower of Jesus Christ; it is one for anyone who wants to achieve anything in life. If we want to be a leader in whatever context, our guiding thought must be to do everything we can in order to accomplish our goal. Not that we accomplish the goal--the Permian High School football team lost the championship that year of the speech--but that we can say with truth that there was not one more thing that we could have done to accomplish the goal.

THOUGHT

In your life right now, what goal must you try to accomplish?

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, your Son gave us the goal that we should be as perfect in life as you are. Although we obviously cannot reach the divine state, give us the grace to try to do everything that we can possibly do to accomplish living well. Be with us, we pray.

Questions, comments? Let me know. Email Fr. Mike