Readings: Lv. 19:1-2, 17-18; 1Cor. 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48
A Life of Holiness is a Must for all People
1. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” (CCC 2013). All Christians must respond to this universal mandate. We are not called to be holy as we want but as holy as God is. Our understanding of holiness should be based on God’s way and not ours. “Not what I will but what you will.” (Mk. 14:36). The first reading calls us to “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” We must respond to this call without any reservations. In his Introduction to the Devout Live, St. Francis de Sales reminds us, “Wherever we find ourselves, we not only may but should seek perfection.” He stressed: “At the creation, God commanded the plants to bear fruit each according to its kind, and he likewise commands Christians, the living branches of the vine, to bear fruit by practicing devotion according to their state in life.” We are created in the image and likeness of God to know, love, serve, and worship God in this world and to be happy with him in the next. Our existence on earth will only be meaningful if we see the face of God and live happily with him in heaven. Since our choices should be geared towards our dwelling place with God in heaven, we must live holy lives.
2. What is holiness? Holiness means sacredness or purity. It is often used to describe things that are consecrated or dedicated and set apart for the service of God. It is living in communication with God and others. It comes from God alone, so people and things can only be holy if they are related to God. Because of our desire to seek God and all that pleases Him, we must let go of everything to have a life with God. To this end, St. Paul states: “I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have accepted the loss of all things, and I consider them so much rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him.” (Phil. 3:8-10). “In order to reach this perfection,” the Catechism teaches again, “the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that …doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus, the holiness of the people of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.” (CCC 2013).
3. The Gospel reading today makes sense when seen from the background of the call to holiness. The teaching of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount shows the Christian how to pursue a life of holiness. Responding to this call means, “You shall not bear hatred for your brother. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge.” (Lev. 19:18). “Offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well. Give to the one who asks of you and does not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.”(Mt. 5:38-45).
4. How do we respond to those who hate and wish us bad? Chris has taught us how to respond to those who hate us. “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matt. 5:23-24). Christians do not look for anπ easy way out of pursuing a life of holiness because they have no alternative. They look for options because it is always right to do the right. Not doing the right is not an option! Christians know that by hurting others, they hurt themselves. We hurt ourselves when we are abusive, disregard, look down on, or act maliciously toward others. Bearing grudges, harboring grievances, and planning revenge is like holding a big fire in our hearts, waiting to ignite, burn, and consume ourselves and everything in its path. We must conquer hatred with love.
5. “When we hate our enemies, we give them power over us – power over our sleep…power over our blood pressure, power over our health and happiness. Our enemies would dance for joy if they knew how our hatred tears us apart. Our hatred is not hurting them at all. It only turns own days and night into a hellish turmoil.” (Anonymous) Jesus wants us to use the power of love and conquer our enemies. Our enemies would not be able to withstand the pressure of our love for too long. They will buckle under the enormity of our love; we are called to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Love always releases a chain reaction of love. Responding with love toward those who hate us benefits both parties far more than a response of hate. We must answer the call to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy!
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP.
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