Tuesday Reflection by Sr. Rosemary Finnegan, O.P.
Readings from: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030122.cfm
The last thought in our first reading is a showstopper: “Be holy because I am holy.” Those 6 words give our whole lives focus, direction, and meaning. We hear that phrase ‘Be holy’ often, but what does it mean?
I decided it might be interesting to do a little survey of some folks and ask them what they thought it means to be holy. Here are a few spontaneous responses I got from adults:
- Holy means trying to be as Christ
- Being holy is something that we practice each day as we strive to draw nearer to God.
- It’s more than just someone kneeling in a candle lit chapel with hands folded
And from a group of 6th graders who were having lunch when I asked them, they said:
- To put God before ourselves
- To trust God will put you in the right direction
- To love God and spread the Good News
How would each of us answer that question? If you’re stumbling for a reply, Pope Francis can help. In 2018, he wrote a beautiful exhortation called “Call to Holiness”, (or the Latin title: Gaudete et Exsultate) and if you’re looking for some Lenten reading, you might want to consider this. Just google it, “Call to Holiness”.
In his very simple way of writing, Pope Francis doesn’t propose a single path to holiness. He says: “The important thing is that each believer discerns his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts God has placed in their hearts.”
To ‘be holy’, then, isn’t some abstract concept. It is lived out in the seemingly mundane reality of our everyday lives and in our relationships with the people and world around us. So, how is God calling each of us to holiness?
We are on the doorstep of Lent, that season of grace, which gives us practical ways to grow in holiness, namely, to pray, fast and gives alms. We can resolve to do those practices in a holy way, a way that will bring us closer to God and one another.
- Instead of praying more prayers, perhaps we should listen more to God who is always speaking to our hearts.
- Besides abstaining from some favorite food, perhaps we could abstain from snap judgements, being stubborn and opinionated.
- And when it comes to almsgiving, besides sharing our resources, perhaps we could expand our heart for the poor by learning more about the realities of what it’s like to live in poverty.
To ‘be holy’ through prayer, fasting and almsgiving this Lent is our most immediate opportunity, and the invitation is this:
“Be holy because I am holy”
