Theological Foundations new file

218 Theological Foundations Matulaitis-Matulewicz show the dynamism of the Christian life. In their opinion, virtue is not only an ornament of the soul or an interior skill but also a power turned into action. Virtue is God’s seed which is to sprout and grow. Understood as a gift of God, it bestows a special dignity on man in the order of nature and grace. Only the man, who diligently prac- tices virtue, attains perfection and becomes an adopted child of God is designated to participate in the happiness of eternal life. “Our task must be,” writes Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz, “to be perfect and to perfect; to perfect ourselves and to perfect others and their works. We must per- fect ourselves in the spiritual life by selecting those spiritual exercises which especially impel us toward a more conscious supernatural life, as, for example: a pure, supernatural intention (this should become habitu- al in our lives), particular and general examens of conscience, medita- tions, spiritual reading, a good and conscientious confession and a report on our spiritual life to our spiritual director, made at least once a month with sincerity and open-heartedness. (...) As we thus perfect ourselves we must try to help others to achieve perfection; for by serving others, by contributing to their higher perfection, we perfect ourselves and raise others up.” 45 It is indeed in such a broad sense that the great importance of the call to conversion can be understood. Another element which should be emphasized in the evaluation of Father Papczynski’s and Father Matulaitis-Matulewicz’s teaching is their exceptional gift of persuasion. They were able to reach their listen- ers first of all by the power of their personal involvement, enthusiasm, zeal and holiness. This holiness must have emanated from them if they managed to create such a great impression on their listeners, of which we learn from their biographies. They exerted tremendous influence on their listeners’ lives, and the truths which they proclaimed were handed down to future generations. Their teaching was credible because it was a consequence of their personal experience and their deep spiritual lives. It reflects their realism in evaluating man, their deep knowledge of the human psyche, of man’s hidden talents and weaknesses. This knowledge enabled them to point out where man should look for strength to over-