The Call to Holiness: Be Christ-like

The Christian vocation is to be holy. Since God alone is holy, holiness is about being connected to God.

It is God’s will that we become holy. “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, to do Your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” (Ps 40:8-9). Jesus’ Church calls not only her members to holiness, namely to be Christ-like, but also, through them, the whole world. The Holy Spirit calls everyone to, “Be holy in all you do, since it is the Holy One who has called you, and scripture says: Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Jesus makes this possible through His Church when she celebrates Jesus’ birth, Baptism, death, Resurrection, Ascension and the fulfilment of the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. During Advent she calls us to wait for the return of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, by being spiritually productive. During Christmas she reminds us to be joyful that Jesus has come and remains with us in and through His Church, through her preaching of His Gospel and her sacramental worship. During Lent she focuses us on our sinfulness and our need to repent of our sins, seek God’s and our neighbour’s forgiveness, and amend our lives in accord with God’s Commandments and His Beatitudes. During Easter she gives us Hope as she celebrates Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. Pentecost reminds us that God has sent His Spirit to His Church as her Advocate and Sanctifier enabling us to embrace the only way to Heaven, the truth about God and ourselves, and the life that never ends as taught and lived by Jesus.