The Attributes of God – Absolute Perfection
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about the attribute of God’s perfection and holiness, clarifying the difference between God’s absolute perfection and human relative perfection. He affirms that the perfection which belongs to God does not accept deficiency or sin, while human perfection is limited and bound to a specific context and level. He also explains how God’s holiness extends to everything that follows and belongs to Him: people, places, sacraments, and books.
Main idea:
God is perfect and wholly holy; this holiness is not merely a word but a divine reality that affects the relationship between God and man. Humans may be “saints” or objects of sanctification, but absolute holiness belongs to God alone. Therefore we must fear God’s holiness and become holy by belonging to Him.
Spiritual and educational dimensions (from a Coptic Orthodox faith perspective):
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God is holy by His nature: His nature does not agree with sin, and He is the source of full light.
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The Church preserves and reminds us of God’s holiness in the prayers (the sanctifications) to plant fear and contemplation in souls.
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Everything related to God becomes holy: the sanctuary, the sacraments, the books, the priesthood, and the consecrated persons (baptism, chrism, the anointing).
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The sanctification of man and its offering: man is sanctified by belonging to Christ through baptism and chrism and by the blood of Christ, yet this sanctification is relative and requires struggle and continuous repentance.
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The distinction between words like “holy” (Quddus) and “saint” (Qiddis) is important for theological understanding, but the essential meaning is that the source of absolute holiness is God.
Practical applications for the spiritual focus:
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Attend the sanctifications and prayers with contemplation and humility so that the sense of God’s holiness may be established.
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Respect holy places, sacraments, and sacred books and live a sanctified life appropriate to our belonging to God.
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Acknowledge that holiness belongs to God alone leads us to repentance, recognizing human weakness and striving toward true holiness.
Brief conclusion:
The lecture reminds us to live in the awe of God’s holiness and in gratitude for God’s love and mercy, while striving to cultivate a practical holy life that manifests our genuine belonging to God.
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