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Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I think other famous imperfect saints could include the irascible Jerome! Bro Thomas > -----Original Message----- > From: [log in to unmask] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000 2:33 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: saints > > In a message dated 01/16/2000 9:30:04 AM Eastern Standard Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > > > I'm not aware that the church has ever taught that the saints were > perfect, > > except for Mary. One immediately thinks of Peter's denial of Jesus. > It's > > certainly an imperfection on an apostle's part to deny the Lord and one > > hardly deniable on the church's part. > > > > Bro Thomas > > Thank you, Bro Thomas. I was thinking of Augustine's Confessions, but your > > example is better. Peter, who denies the Lord and becomes the first Pope, > always reminds me of Aaron, who makes the Golden Calf but becomes High > Priest > of Israel. I always understood both stories to mean that there are no > perfect > human beings (except as you've noted Mary), and even those elevated to the > > highest religious post will have some kind of imperfection that has to be > called to the reader's attention. It's a call to humility, maybe, to > remembering that only God is perfect. When I was young, the story of > Aaron > confused me. I couldn't understand why a person who had done something > wrong > would be chosen as the high priest. Both stories are very nuanced. One > has > to think about them. > > pat sloane %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%