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The Pursuit of Perfection confined within limits.” Because “the only de-
The 4th century church father, St Gregory of termination of virtue is that it is boundless”
Nyssa argues that though the ability of the hu- (Danielou, 1962, p. 82), which is to say God,
man person to change has been damaged by sin, however virtuous I may be, I can still grow in
nevertheless change is still possible for us be- virtue. The only standard for human virtue is
cause the ability change (mutablity) is an intrin- God and anything else is to confuse cultural
sic part of what it means to be a creature. standards with true holiness (Yannaras, 1982).
Wickedness, however, is not so strong as to pre- For St. Gregory, moral goodness “is by its very
vail over the power of good; nor is the folly of nature unlimited, and is bounded only by the
our nature more powerful and more abiding presence of its contrary—as life is bounded by
than the wisdom of God: for it is impossible death, and light by darkness” (81). But since
that that which is always mutable and variab- the infinite and eternal God is the source of all
le should be more firm and more abiding than goodness, including moral goodness, goodness
that which always remains the same and is firm- can have no limit, except that which we impo-
ly fixed in goodness: but it is absolutely certain se on it by our unwillingness to be healed by
that the Divine counsel possesses immutability, divine grace. The only boundary to virtue is
while the changeableness of our nature does not found in our choosing not to be virtuous. Or, as
remain settled even in evil (Nyssa, 1893/1917, Gregory writes, “the only limitation of virtue is
p. 410). vice” (Danielou, p. 82), Vice, or the absence of
In my pastoral experience as a priest-confessor, the moral goodness in the human soul, reflects
I find that, ironically, the very negative feelings the person choosing not to share in the divine
that bring the person to confession often under- nature (see, 2 Peter 1:4).
mine the penitent’s ability to re-center his life All this leads Gregory to conclude that perfec-
on Christ. This captured well in another from tion for the human person is not a destination
the sacrament of confession: but a journey of “constant growth in the good”
Behold, child, Christ stands invisibly hear re- (Danielou, p. 83). When the priest asks God to
ceiving your confession. Do not be ashamed or grant to penitent “an image of repentance” he is
afraid, and do not conceal anything from me. asking God not only to formally forgive the pe-
But doubting none of these things, tell me all nitent of sin and to reconcile the person to the
that you have done, so that you may receive Church. Implicit within the prayer is an appeal
forgiveness from our Lord Jesus Christ. Behold for the grace needed to help the person beco-
His icon before us! I am only a witness, bearing me his or her best self. For the Eastern Church,
testimony before him of all the things you say the continual re-orientation of the person to
to me. If shall conceal anything from me, You God reflects “the finest aspect” of human na-
shall have the greater sin. Take heed, therefore, ture. What is best about us is “the possibility of
that having come to the Physician, you [do not] growth in good” and our “capacity for improve-
depart unhealed (Book of Needs, p. 40). ment.” Taken together these are what makes it
possible for us to become “more and more” like
What does it look like to be healed? God (Danielou, p. 84).
Like all created beings, we are finite. Far from Our finite nature coupled with the dynamic cha-
being an impediment, for St. Gregory of Nyssa, racter of human life (i.e., our ability to change
our finitude is what makes transcendence pos- and grow) “can be as a pinion in our flight to-
sible. Because the object of our desire—God— wards higher things.” In fact, they “would be a
”is limitless” our “desires must necessarily be hardship if we were not,” as Gregory says, ca-
coextensive with the limitless, and therefore pable “of the sort of change which is towards
have no limit.” The boundless nature of God the better.” As we grew in repentance we come
means that I can never fully know or love Him. to see that hidden within us is the ability to
God will always outstrip my ability to embrace “change in such a way that we may constantly
Him. This what Gregory is getting at when he evolve towards what is better, being transfor-
says that it “is absolutely impossible to attain med from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18),
perfection” is because perfection “cannot be and thus always improving and ever becoming
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