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| Photo by Johnny McClung on Unsplash |
Purity is a virtue that is very difficult to understand.
According to the dictionary, pure is that which is clean, untouched, without spots or blemishes. In that sense, purity would be the state of someone who has never been touched by evil, in any of its forms.
Purity would have to be preserved from the beginning, as any stain would imply its loss.
In human terms, everyone would be born pure and remain so until they commit the first fault. In such a sense, the state of purity would be forever lost and beyond the reach of the vast majority of men.
However, Jesus affirmed the bliss of the pure in heart.
It is not possible that the happiness of the blessed is restricted to a tiny minority, for Christ also said that none of his sheep would be lost. Thus, the meaning of the word purity cannot be restricted to the condition of someone who has never been touched by evil.
Perfect Purity
Purity is not something you are born with or something that can be lost at the slightest slip. It is a state of consciousness to be built over time.
Being pure is not being ignorant of the reality of life, but opting for the good, for the beautiful, for the just.
On the flip side, an impure person only sees evil everywhere. They are those who judge and are always willing show levity on each action. Being harsh censors, they often expect a purity that they do no have and violently criticize those who make efforts to achieve it.
The pure person identifies the evil where it really exists. They perceive and regret dishonesty, selfishness, perversion and cruelty.
Final Thoughts
Purity is something that can be achieved.
Struggling to overcome our own difficulties is hard but worthwhile. What we need is to stop wasting time criticizing the conducts of others and focusing on our own bad habits to overcome them patiently.
Mary Magdalene is an opportune example of purity achieved. Despite the great mistakes of his past, after meeting Jesus she began to cultivate purity in her life. Her story is an eloquent symbol of the victory of reason and will over passion and vices.
Becoming pure is possible and it only depends on our own efforts.
