Two facts: 1-
Holiness is a fundamental issue in our life. 2- Understanding what is holiness
is therefore as fundamental.
Two other facts: 1- Since early 60s, with the Council Vatican II, we have been reminded
that Jesus calls all of us to Holiness (see: Lumen Gentium, chapter 5, The Universal call to holiness). And this is very positive.
2- Details about what is holiness
and how to reach it remain until today difficult to access. Therefore these
concepts remain very imprecise and vague. We often accommodate with general
ideas and directions, but when it comes to details, we lack a great deal of
practical insight.
Some people think that by just
abiding by Christian Dogma, Liturgy (+ Sacraments) and Morality it is enough
[or worse: it guarantees you] to reach holiness. Our popular understanding of
“holiness” is something, but the more precise one is something totally
different.
It is important to notice that our
understanding of: 1- The Cross (what
Jesus accomplishes on the Cross), 2- Easter,
3- Baptism and 4- Christian life are directly related. Plus,
in the end, all will bring us to holiness, obviously.
Our understanding of these 4
realities did shrink a lot from the original view/understanding – with dramatic
consequences on our understanding of holiness. It shrank to a frightening
point. To explain it, I’ll take an example: the Promise given to Abraham to
give him the Land.
After 430 years of “slavery” in
Egypt, God decided that the time was right to act and save His People. We all
have a geographical idea of the journey of the people of God, from Egypt to the
Promised Land (see the map).
This Journey was made in 40 years. (Remember that this journey wouldn’t take more than 3 days waking, if you take a more direct route) I would divide this journey in 4 parts (not like the map shown). This is my choice, just to make my point.
1- One night: walking to the red sea and crossing it (ok, you may add few days or weeks while Moses and the Pharaoh are defying each others and having the plagues of Egypt).
2- Two years: from the crossing until the area called Kadesh Barnea.
3- Thirty eight years: going in circles around the area of Kadesh.
4- Finally entering the Promised Land: crossing the Jordan, fighting against the local populations (7 tribes).
The full journey is 1 + 2 + 3 + 4.
I am using the full journey as an
example of our spiritual Christian Journey, heading toward Holiness (the
“Promised Land”). The whole action that Jesus accomplishes on the Cross comprises in it the full
journey. Saving us is not just taking us from Egypt to the desert (crossing the
Red Sea)!! It is the same for Baptism:
being baptised is not just crossing the Red Sea, finishing from the slavery of
the Devil (Pharaoh) like the Fathers of the Church used to say. The full
realisation of Baptism is to reach the Promised land. Wouldn’t you agree?
Same for Easter: during Easter Vigil we focus a lot on the essential reading
of the crossing of the red sea. Nothing wrong with it. But crossing the desert,
spending 40years in it, crossing the river Jordan, have no impact on our
understanding of Easter. We often, traditionally use Easter Vigil to Baptise
the catechumens. Does it push more toward this “reduction” of the concepts?
Well the debate is opened.
Same thing for our Christian daily life: we measure
everything by one measure: “am I in the sate of grace or not? If not, I do have
to go to confession. So my life is to be or not to be in the sate of grace”. It
is like saying: “did I cross or not the desert?”. Ok, fair enough. But where is
the Desert in our Christian life? Do we see it? Do we understand its deep
meaning? Do we understand manna? Receiving the Law? Not listening to God, and
having to go in circles during 38 years until we are totally purified (see
Numbers c. 16)? having to cross the waters of the river Jordan? Having to go
and fight 7 tribes?
It seems that everything lies on: “am
I in the state of grace or not?”, and the rest will take care of itself. I just
need to pray, to go to Mass, to confess, to de good deeds, and holiness will
come by itself. So: “take it easy, sit down and relax. Take a deep breath, you
are saved from the Red Sea. The rest will come, you just need to be a good Christian.”
Crossing the Red Sea is
fundamentally like seeing Saul being kicked out of his horse and falling,
blind, under the powerful liberating light of Jesus.
All what comes after, is infinitely
much more: it is when Paul takes time to grow (he spends 3 years in Arabia)…
and then works, serves... Saint Paul’s life doesn’t revolve around his falling
from his horse. It seems that for us, holiness is bout falling from our horse.
“Falling from our horse” is
technically called: “conversion”. So our Christian life, Baptism, the Cross, Easter,
are simply reduced to be BINARY: I am or not in the state of grace (1,0). And, if
I am not, I should go to confession. All the rest will be - roughly - fine. (Yes
“roughly”, as you noticed.) This is what some will later call: holiness.
People think, vaguely that Holiness
will/might come, roughly, automatically, by itself, by power of magic.
I am not sure of that at all. I
wouldn’t plan my entire life with “roughly” and “maybe”.
Conclusion:
well I invite you to re-read this short blog, meditate on it, write down your thoughts, put them in order, make your own conclusions and kindly post them in the “comments” below.
Thank you for the article Jean.
ReplyDeleteThe Catholic Church I think defines a saint as somebody who has practiced heroic virtue. So we can talk about holiness as heroic virtue. Benedict XIV, an 18th century pope, stated “In order to be heroic a Christian virtue must enable its owner to perform virtuous actions with uncommon promptitude, ease, and pleasure, from supernatural motives and without human reasoning, with self-abnegation and full control over his natural inclinations."
And most people would say that one needs to pray for the Holy Spirit to achieve a life of heroic virtue.
What are your thoughts on this definition of holiness and achieving it?