God wanted to enter into the life and history of a people.ħ. Rather, God draws us to himself, taking into account the complex fabric of interpersonal relationships present in a human community. That is why no one is saved alone, as an isolated individual. We are never completely ourselves unless we belong to a people. In salvation history, the Lord saved one people. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance among God’s holy and faithful people, for “it has pleased God to make men and women holy and to save them, not as individuals without any bond between them, but rather as a people who might acknowledge him in truth and serve him in holiness”. Nor need we think only of those already beatified and canonized. We can think, for example, of Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu, who offered her life for the unity of Christians.Ħ. This shows an exemplary imitation of Christ, one worthy of the admiration of the faithful. The processes of beatification and canonization recognize the signs of heroic virtue, the sacrifice of one’s life in martyrdom, and certain cases where a life is constantly offered for others, even until death. All the saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me”. Each of us can say: “Surrounded, led and guided by the friends of God… I do not have to carry alone what, in truth, I could never carry alone. The Book of Revelation attests to this when it speaks of the intercession of the martyrs: “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne they cried out with a loud voice, ‘O sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge?’” (6:9-10). The saints now in God’s presence preserve their bonds of love and communion with us. Their lives may not always have been perfect, yet even amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord.Ĥ. These witnesses may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones (cf. Above all, it invites us to realize that “a great cloud of witnesses” (12:1) impels us to advance constantly towards the goal. It speaks of Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Gideon and others (cf. The Letter to the Hebrews presents a number of testimonies that encourage us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (12:1). THE SAINTS WHO ENCOURAGE AND ACCOMPANY USģ. For the Lord has chosen each one of us “to be holy and blameless before him in love” ( Eph 1:4). My modest goal is to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities. What follows is not meant to be a treatise on holiness, containing definitions and distinctions helpful for understanding this important subject, or a discussion of the various means of sanctification. We see it expressed in the Lord’s words to Abraham: “Walk before me, and be blameless” ( Gen 17:1).Ģ. The call to holiness is present in various ways from the very first pages of the Bible. He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence. The Lord asks everything of us, and in return he offers us true life, the happiness for which we were created. “ REJOICE AND BE GLAD” ( Mt 5:12), Jesus tells those persecuted or humiliated for his sake. SPIRITUAL COMBAT, VIGILANCE AND DISCERNMENT Ideologies striking at the heart of the Gospel “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” The saints who encourage and accompany us Īn intellect without God and without fleshĪn often overlooked Church teaching
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