Seeking perfection in the spiritual life is sometimes dismissed as unrealistic, but achieving this ideal in our daily interactions is almost inevitable.

For providing the most mundane information, like a fast-food order or the spelling of our last name, we’re often rewarded with the formerly rare superlative, “perfect.”

Clearly, “perfect” is no longer considered the highest praise. It’s now a filler word that’s edged out “okay” and enables those working with the public to sidestep having to say “thank you.” (I know from experience that dealing with people’s moods and demands all day can be exhausting.)

When or why the word “perfect” was downgraded from describing the sublime to being a politer version of “uh-huh” is not known.

Maybe the current use of the word has resulted from younger generations being told repeatedly that trying to be perfect in academics and sports was not only impossible but unfair to all children. And those young people, now employees, who at one time received participation awards, are perhaps just being equitable by deeming everything “perfect.”

The word “perfect” is currently ubiquitous, but it’s no wonder that society has for centuries considered the concept of “perfection” to be “lofty, shallow and pretentious — and scarily unattainable.” Philosopher and scientist René Descartes argued that imperfect beings shouldn’t even be able to conceive of perfection. “Only perfection can produce perfection,” he wrote. “It is a metaphysical circle of perfection.”

Regardless of how society considers and uses the word “perfect,” its meaning hasn’t changed, because God hasn’t changed. The definitions in Webster’s dictionary include:

Complete in all respects; without defect or omission; sound; flawless; in a quality of complete excellence, as in skill or quality; faultless; most excellent; completely correct or accurate: exact; precise; without reserve or complication; pure; utter; sheer; complete; quite certain; assured.

Throughout history, humans have excelled in some of those areas, but the only Person who has mastered the entire list is Jesus Christ.

Knowing that every human, except for his Blessed Mother, bears the wounds of original sin and that on our own we’d be challenged to earn even a “participation award” in the spiritual life, Jesus could have said in the Scriptures, “I know you can’t be perfect so don’t worry about trying; just do the best you can.”

Instead, after giving his followers the beatitudes, Jesus used the “p” word very clearly:

“Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

Jesus’ call to perfection and holiness isn’t the first in the Scriptures. Similar calls appear in the Old and New Testaments, (see Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; Deuteronomy 18:13; James 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 John 3:3). Some newer Bible translations have replaced the word “perfect” with words like “blameless,” “restore,” “pure” and “holy.”

Scripture translators may consider these words more accurate; but, in truth, God is the culmination of all those attributes: He is perfect.

Why would Jesus insist that we aim for something that only God can be?

Probably because he wants us to be aware that perfection is possible only with God and to ask the Lord to help us.

Not only are the words “perfect” and “perfection” found in the Bible, but the idea that “all things are possible with God” appears repeatedly in the Gospels (Matthew 17:20 and 19:26; Mark 9:23, 10:27 and 14:36; and Luke 1:37).

Descartes, who was baptized and educated as a Catholic, may have been right in saying that perfection is impossible for humans, but he doesn’t mention that God makes us capable of doing more if we seek his grace.

St. Paul tells us this in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Other saints also encourage us to seek perfection with God’s grace.

In his “Short Road to Perfection,” St. John Henry Newman gives concrete steps:

• Do not lie in bed beyond the due time of rising; 
• Give your first thoughts to God;
• Make a good visit to the Blessed Sacrament; 
• Say the Angelus devoutly; 
• Eat and drink to God’s glory; 
• Say the Rosary well; 
• Be recollected and keep out bad thoughts; 
• Make your evening meditation well; 
• Examine yourself daily; and
• Go to bed in good time. 

“And you are already perfect,” Cardinal Newman concludes.

Each time we hear the word “perfect” could be an opportunity to reflect on the fact that we — not our coffee order — are not perfect yet but that God will continue to help us get there.