Repent and believe. We first looked at the repent side, which is rooting out sin and detaching from what holds us down. Now, let’s look at the believe side, which is moving forward to the mystery of love God has in store for us as we grow in holiness.
But what exactly is holiness? Holiness means to be separated from and opposed to evil, and also set aside for the service of God. Holiness, first and foremost, is a gift of God’s grace in Baptism. And with the gift of holiness, we also have the capacity to grow in holiness ever more.
I like the way Pope Benedict put it: “Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again…and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness.” (See Pope Benedict’s Catechesis on the Apostles p. 157).
In other words, for us, holiness is not about living the perfect, sinless life. Instead, it’s our capacity to overcome and turn away from sin which enables us to grow in holiness, to grow towards God. And this is something all of us can do. So, when Jesus teaches, “You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), we should not look at that as an unattainable ideal, something static. No, it’s alive, it grows, it’s something we can all strive for. In fact, the Church teaches there is a universal call to holiness, which means holiness is for everyone.
So, how do we get there? We’ve already talked about prayer, the practices of the spiritual life, and the need to root out sin. In all of these, if we have a docile heart, we can be led by the Spirit to form good habits that direct us in the path of holiness — a path that transforms us and deepens our relationship with God. Because that’s what it’s about: growing towards a union with the Almighty God who loves us.
C.S. Lewis once said, “A Christian does not think God will love us because we are good…but that God will make us good because He loves us.” (Mere Christianity Book 2 Chapter 5) In the pursuit of holiness, God’s love always comes first. Indeed, coming to know and experience the love of God has a powerful, transformative effect on us. As we become more committed in our relationship with Him, we become more and more inclined to want to please Him, to love Him more deeply, and not offend Him.
We love God through our actions, through our spiritual disciplines, and the love we show our neighbor. However, it’s a temptation to look at these spiritual practices as a checklist that we must get through in order to attain some level of holiness. Sometimes my spiritual life takes on that flavor, as if I’m going to impress God and earn His love by ticking off these spiritual activities like a checklist. “I went to mass, I volunteered at the soup kitchen, I’m even starting a novena!” It’s part of our fallen nature to want to do things by ourselves and without God. So, it’s easy to fall into that trap and to think that being holy is a matter of trying really hard, that it comes thru sheer willpower on our own.
Another problem with that checklist mentality is that it could lead into the sin of judging others, which Jesus forbids. So, let’s just nix that checklist!
Growth in holiness, instead, is a journey we take in cooperation with the grace of God. It’s a journey as we gradually become conformed more and more to the image of Jesus Christ. Through our spiritual practices, we take small steps, and, like any relationship, it doesn’t happen all at once. It happens over time in what the Church calls the “law of gradualness.”
Saint Josemaria Escriva reminds us that grace, like nature, acts gradually, and he warns that we should not move AHEAD of grace Yet, we must move ahead with grace, and “aim very high” towards Christ’s ideal. We should not lower the goal in any way. And, since sanctity is not something worked out “by one’s own hands,” we must rely on grace. And grace takes time. The saint also encourages us to have a “holy impatience” in his journey; an urgency and desire to move forward, but also reminds us not to lose patience with ourselves.
I’ve experienced this law of gradualness many times, most especially during my reversion. But it was a struggle, and I needed to move in God’s time; I couldn’t go faster than God enabled me. I learned that holiness becomes possible when we open ourselves up, with all of our problems and limitations; when we trust God and entrust ourselves to Him as we persevere over the long haul, through difficult times and in times of consolation, in our imperfections, and as we grow in virtue; when we stumble in our sins, and when we get back up again. It’s not about white-knuckling it, but simply doing what we can, and faithfully, humbly asking God for the grace to do what we cannot.
What else should we know about holiness? How about that we each have our own unique path! We will never be holy, if we do not follow God’s will for our lives. Remember that God calls each of us by name, with our unique gifts and abilities. He calls us to exercise Christian love in our unique circumstances. Every one of us, in fact, has a personal vocation. I’m always inspired by Blessed John Henry Newman’s words,
“God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission.” Then he ends the prayer reminding us that God “knows what He is about.” (Meditations and Devotions Part 3 Chapter 1)
Yes, God is in charge, and He knows the plan He has for each of us, a plan for goodness and abundant life. That’s why He created each of us unique, with our gifts, our vocation, our mission. Yet, at the same time, we are all working together as one body of Christ. I find it consoling that I don’t have to live the life of Mother Teresa to be holy. I don’t know if I’d make it without a lot of grace from God! Pope Francis says each of us must discern our own path. One that brings out the very best of ourselves using the most personal gifts that God has placed in our hearts. He warns that we could actually be led astray and away from God if we hopelessly try to imitate a spiritual path not meant for us. (Gaudete et Exsultate 11) So, discernment is key.
When we think about it, in a way, holiness is about being who we are — that is, being who God made each of us to be. We are each called to follow Jesus, to love to the fullest like Jesus, but each according to a path that “fits us” — fits the unique plan of God. I love the fact that I was created for “some definite purpose” — and if I become who God created me to be, I will set the world ablaze! Hey, maybe we should write that one down: “Become who you are and you will set the world ablaze!” (St. Catherine of Siena, Letter 368)
In conforming our life to God’s, and allowing Him to transform us into who He created us to be, our relationship grows ever deeper. We can better see the world the way God sees it, to become a part of God’s mission. So, holiness is not a static ideal, but a journey, a journey of love. It’s not something we do on our own, through sheer willpower, but something done in cooperation with God’s grace. It doesn’t happen all at once, put unfolds gradually, as we place ourselves deeper and deeper into God’s hands. And holiness is not the same for everybody, it takes on a different form for each of us because each of us is unique, with an individual relationship with God. So, we pray, we discern, we stick with it, and we respect the process, knowing that the God of the universe is taking care of things.