What is a holy life? What do you see when you imagine a person the world sees as holy?
St. Dominic of Guzmán championed poverty and gave away all his belongings, including his beloved books, to feed the starving. He dedicated himself to preaching and studying, proving himself holy.
St. Teresa of Avila balanced intense contemplative prayer with the active, physical work of reforming the Carmelite order, a holy lifestyle, indeed.
Ignatius of Antioch, while being transported to Rome for execution, wrote letters to strengthen Christian communities, treating his journey toward martyrdom as a triumphant spiritual procession. His holiness was assured.
Pelagia of Antioch, a famous dancer and actress, converted to Christianity and abandoned a life of immense wealth and hedonism to live in a cave as a hermit in prayer. Can she get any more holy?
Moses abandoned a life of luxury in the Egyptian Pharaoh’s palace to identify with and lead the enslaved Hebrew people to the Promised Land. We now call it the Holy Land.
Joan of Arc led armies in the Hundred Years’ War, ultimately dying for her faith and convictions. Truly, Joan of Arc was holy.
Yet, we still have the mortgage to pay, food prices are on the rise, and our kids need shoes. We can’t run off and live in a cave like Pelagia. We can’t lead an army like Joan or give away our belongings like St. Dominic.
So, then, what does God expect of us?
Ah, now we’re to the meat of today’s lesson. 2 Timothy 1:9 gives us the answer:
“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”
Our holiness comes through Christ. To be more specific, God’s call trumps our qualifications. We may not be able to give away everything. Our family would suffer. However, God’s call to holiness sanctifies us despite our lack of qualifications. We don’t have to qualify for holiness, just accept it.
When we step into God, his holiness transforms us into his new creation.
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