Attitudes toward God?

[fakename]

I was wondering two things 1) is more philosophical than 2).

1. What is the appropriate attitude to take towards God? Some say that since God knows we’re imperfect that we shouldn’t be “fanatical” in our perfection of the virtues (not that we shouldn’t care but that we shouldn’t be so serious in daily life). Others say that since God is perfect He should have perfect servants (but I don’t think it is possible to be perfect in this life?).
2. So based on the answer to 1, do you think that you should repeat prayers or parts or prayers that you think you didn’t say and further should you enter church on all-fours (why don’t people do this if God is there?) etc.?

Thanks

 

[fhansen]

I was wondering two things 1) is more philosophical than 2).

1. What is the appropriate attitude to take towards God? Some say that since God knows we’re imperfect that we shouldn’t be “fanatical” in our perfection of the virtues (not that we shouldn’t care but that we shouldn’t be so serious in daily life). Others say that since God is perfect He should have perfect servants (but I don’t think it is possible to be perfect in this life?).
2. So based on the answer to 1, do you think that you should repeat prayers or parts or prayers that you think you didn’t say and further should you enter church on all-fours (why don’t people do this if God is there?) etc.?

Thanks

1. Human perfection is simply to be whoever God created you to be-no more or less. This doesn’t imply that it’s an easy task-it only means that we need to refrain from over-theorizing about just what constitutes a saint. It’s fairly simple: we’re to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. So St Augustine could pare it down to: "Love, and do what you like."

But this is still easier said than done, of course. As Scripture tells us, however, "With man, nothing is possible, for God, all things are possible." The bottom line is this: man* is* expected to be perfect but man cannot obtain perfection without Gods grace, without God, IOW. This is the essence of the New Covenant.

1. Holiness does not =scrupulosity. Crawling into Church on all fours might be a guesstimation of what we think could possibly be proper reverence but that doesn’t make it the will of God. And we can pretend to be reverent but we can’t fool God in any case.

 

[svid2]

For the first part, no, we should not go overboard trying to be absolutely perfect. That’s called being scrupulous, and it never works. It results in anxiety, worry (which St. Pio called “useless”), and guilt. Still, God asks for our love and a good effort. With those, we can and do improve over time, and can find ourselves in Heaven, and perfected.

As to the second, sometimes I do repeat a prayer that I said poorly. Heaven can tell when we’ve made a good effort and when we’ve done it half-heartedly. Be honest with yourself. I don’t grade myself too harshly, but now and then I realize, “That was a lame Hail Mary.” Then I spend the, what? twenty seconds? to say it again. She’s my mother! And my Queen! And I’m asking Her to take my petition to God!

Finally, I heard of a skeptic (maybe an agnostic or atheist or something) who said that if we TRULY believed in the Real Presence, we would go to Communion on our hands and knees, groveling! Well, I’m not going to do that - don’t want to appear ‘holier than thou’, but during the Eucharistic Prayer and Communion, I try to have extra reverence. Our Lord, who died for us is truly present!