Novo Millennio Ineunte part II

Called to Holiness

 by Virginia King

As I mentioned in the first article I wrote on this Apostolic Letter, Pope John Paul II has written to us in order to exhort us to take our role as followers of Jesus very seriously—to be who we are meant to be and to do what we are meant to do.

We are challenged to “put out into the deep” by venturing forth with renewed zeal to “make disciples of all nations.” We are challenged to focus on the mission of Jesus and our own call to participate in His mission in a particular way.

The second section of the letter proposes the “universal call to holiness” as the highest priority in pastoral planning in our dioceses and communities. Within this topic of holiness is included emphasis on Prayer, on the Sunday Eucharist, on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, on the Primacy of Grace, on Listening to the Word and on Proclaiming the Word.

As I read through the Letter, I am so aware of how critical each of these elements has been and continues to be in my own spiritual growth. I am also aware that my experience of “living, proclaiming and nurturing baptism in the Holy Spirit” has drawn me deeper into this call to be holy.

The letter emphasizes that, though each of us is called to holiness, our varying life circumstances provide an equally large variety of paths to holiness. And on this path, we have a need to be trained in holiness. On this point, the Pope specifically mentions new movements in the Church, such as Charismatic Renewal, as an important resource for training in holiness.

The Church as a whole, and each individual member of the Church is given the gift of holiness. We belong to the Holy One. We are set apart for Him. Jesus gave his life to make us holy. (cf. Eph 5:25-26)

“But the gift in turn becomes a task, which must shape the whole of Christian life. …Since Baptism is a true entry into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit, it would be a contradiction to settle for a life of mediocrity, marked by a minimalist ethic and a shallow religiosity.” (NMI, 30, 31)

These are strong words. We are not uninvolved, passive recipients of the gift of holiness. Being Christian demands that we wholeheartedly devote our lives to growing in holiness. “The followers of Christ…are truly sanctified. They must therefore hold on to and perfect in their lives that sanctification which they have received from God.” (Lumen Gentium, 40)

There are so many jewels in this Letter. I’ve picked out a few quotes on the different elements that I listed above.

Prayer “Prayer can progress to the point of rendering the person wholly possessed by the divine Beloved, vibrating at the Spirit’s touch, resting filially within the Father’s heart. This is the lived experience of Christ’s promise: ‘He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him’” (Jn 14:21)

Sunday Eucharist “It is necessary…to stress the Sunday Eucharist and Sunday itself experienced as a special day of faith, the day of the risen Lord and of the gift of the Spirit, the true weekly Easter.”

Sacrament of Reconciliation “…calling for a rediscovery of Christ as the one in whom God shows us his compassionate heart and reconciles us fully with himself. It is this face of Christ that must be rediscovered through the Sacrament of Penance.”

Primacy of Grace “God asks us really to co-operate with his grace, and therefore invites us to invest all our resources of intelligence and energy in serving the cause of the Kingdom. But it is fatal to forget that ‘without Christ we can do nothing.’ (cf. Jn 15:5).”

Listening to the Word “It is especially necessary that listening to the Word of God should become a life-giving encounter, …which questions, directs and shapes our lives.”

Proclaiming the Word “We must rekindle in our-selves the impetus of the beginnings and allow ourselves to be filled with the ardor of the apostolic preaching which followed Pentecost. We must revive in ourselves the burning conviction of Paul, who cried out: ‘Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.’ (1 Cor 9:16).”

There’s still more to this Apostolic Letter, so please read the next article. It is my hope that my reflections will give you a hunger to prayerfully read this document in its entirety. You can find it on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) or order a copy from the WWCCR bookstore for $3.95.