What is Holiness?

 Though we may think that Holiness is reserved for those who have chosen religious life as priests and sisters, Pope Francis's Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete Et Exsultate presents a very different image. The following are key points from the document which appealed to me.

14. To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted

to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time

in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by

bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to the

consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by

loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a

living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are

you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are

you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal

gain.

16. This holiness to which the Lord calls you will grow through small gestures. Here is an example:

a woman goes shopping, she meets a neighbour and they begin to speak, and the gossip starts.

But she says in her heart: “No, I will not speak badly of anyone”. This is a step forward in holiness.

Later, at home, one of her children wants to talk to her about his hopes and dreams, and even

though she is tired, she sits down and listens with patience and love. That is another sacrifice that

brings holiness. Later she experiences some anxiety, but recalling the love of the Virgin Mary, she

takes her rosary and prays with faith. Yet another path of holiness. Later still, she goes out onto

the street, encounters a poor person and stops to say a kind word to him. One more step.

26. It is not healthy to love silence while fleeing interaction with others, to want peace and quiet

while avoiding activity, to seek prayer while disdaining service. Everything can be accepted and

integrated into our life in this world, and become a part of our path to holiness. We are called to be

contemplatives even in the midst of action, and to grow in holiness by responsibly and generously

carrying out our proper mission.

29. This does not mean ignoring the need for moments of quiet, solitude and silence before God.

Quite the contrary. The presence of constantly new gadgets, the excitement of travel and an

endless array of consumer goods at times leave no room for God’s voice to be heard. We are

overwhelmed by words, by superficial pleasures and by an increasing din, filled not by joy but

rather by the discontent of those whose lives have lost meaning. How can we fail to realize the

need to stop this rat race and to recover the personal space needed to carry on a heartfelt

dialogue with God? Finding that space may prove painful but it is always fruitful. Sooner or later,

we have to face our true selves and let the Lord enter. This may not happen unless “we see

ourselves staring into the abyss of a frightful temptation, or have the dizzying sensation of

standing on the precipice of utter despair, or find ourselves completely alone and abandoned”.[28]

In such situations, we find the deepest motivation for living fully our commitment to our work.

101. ...Our defence of the innocent unborn,  for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate, for at stake is the dignity of a human life,

which is always sacred and demands love for each person, regardless of his or her stage of

development. Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute,

the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert

euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection.[84]

We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel,

spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar,

living their entire lives in abject poverty.

161. Hence, we should not think of the devil as a myth, a representation, a symbol, a figure of

speech or an idea.[121] This mistake would lead us to let down our guard, to grow careless and

end up more vulnerable. The devil does not need to possess us. He poisons us with the venom of

hatred, desolation, envy and vice. When we let down our guard, he takes advantage of it to

destroy our lives, our families and our communities. “Like a roaring lion, he prowls around, looking

for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8).