John Carberry
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Holiness, by John Carberry
Holiness means set apart for God. It is derived from the term whole, dealing with the complete person’s body and soul. When we consider something as holy, we set it apart from earthly things. We give it greater respect. We exult it, or raise it up high above other things.
We can look at the crucifix and the cross as symbols. The crucifix, which contains the body or corpus of Christ, shows God’s great love for us by becoming flesh and dying on the cross. But the cross, without the body of Christ, also can be symbolic. The tree of the cross, or the vertical portion, can represent how humans should view our relationship with God, with humanity at the bottom in the humble and earthly position, while God is at the top, exalted, respected, looked up to and raised on high. The arm of the cross, or the horizontal piece, can signify how humanity is viewed, with each person having equal value or dignity in the eyes of God.
Many of our worldly troubles today result from our failure to set apart what is holy, or to give God the respect that he is due. When we think that we are equal to God, and not subservient, we make a great mistake. We therefore see how pride is a great sin, while humility is a necessary virtue. We cannot make ourselves equal to God. We must always look up to him, seeking his counsel, respecting his authority, and praising his name. Adam and Eve tried to make themselves equal to God, and committed the original sin. Cain thought of himself as greater than his brother, Abel (Gn 4:8), and committed the first murder. Korah rebelled against the authority of Moses (Nm 16:3), and God punished him by consuming him and his followers in a fiery earthquake (Nm 16:35).
We sometimes limit the meaning of the Second Commandment: do not invoke the name of the Lord, your God, in vain (Ex 20:7, Dt 5:11), in our interpretations to God’s name alone, rather than all that is holy. When we take the Lord name in vain, we use it without purpose or respect. But anything that is holy must be exalted and given great respect. “The sense of the sacred is part of the virtue of religion.”[1] When we speak of God and what is holy, we must do so with fear of the Lord.[2]
It is not difficult to see how disrespect for what is holy has caused a separation of humanity from God. If life was considered holy and worthy of respect, we would not question the Church laws against abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). If the authority of the Church was exalted, we would know that we hear Christ’s voice through the interpretations of the Pope (Lk 10:16, Mt 10:14-15, 40-41, 16:18-19, Jn 13:20, Dt 17:12, 21:5, Sir 7:29-31, Jer 26:12, Ez 3:7, 33:31-33). The respect for the unitive and procreative purposes of marriage should cause us to show greater respect for our sexuality, rather than using it as a source of fun and jokes. The generosity of God’s gifts to us of time, treasure and talents should cause us to share with others and assist others who are in need. Finally, our possession of the truth, whether is relates to the spiritual gifts or the promotion of justice, should move us to share the truth with all persons that we encounter.
Our Blessed Mother was holy, set apart for God, favored by God (Lk 1:28-30), and full of grace. She accepts her new life, the child that she will bear and she cooperates with God (Lk 1:38) as she becomes the Mother of Our Lord (Lk 1:43). She demonstrates her concern for others as she visits her pregnant cousin, Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45). She is obedient to the will of the Father and she acknowledges the greatness of God (Lk 1:46) who has lifted her up in her lowliness (Lk 1:52).
John Carberry is the author of Parables: Catholic Apologetics Through Sacred Scripture (2003) and Sacraments: Signs, Symbols and Significance (2023).
[1] The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), (Strathfield, Australia: Saint Pauls Publications, 2009), 2144.
[2] CCC, 2150.
Holiness means set apart for God. It is derived from the term whole, dealing with the complete person’s body and soul. When we consider something as holy, we set it apart from earthly things. We give it greater respect. We exult it, or raise it up high above other things.
We can look at the crucifix and the cross as symbols. The crucifix, which contains the body or corpus of Christ, shows God’s great love for us by becoming flesh and dying on the cross. But the cross, without the body of Christ, also can be symbolic. The tree of the cross, or the vertical portion, can represent how humans should view our relationship with God, with humanity at the bottom in the humble and earthly position, while God is at the top, exalted, respected, looked up to and raised on high. The arm of the cross, or the horizontal piece, can signify how humanity is viewed, with each person having equal value or dignity in the eyes of God.
Many of our worldly troubles today result from our failure to set apart what is holy, or to give God the respect that he is due. When we think that we are equal to God, and not subservient, we make a great mistake. We therefore see how pride is a great sin, while humility is a necessary virtue. We cannot make ourselves equal to God. We must always look up to him, seeking his counsel, respecting his authority, and praising his name. Adam and Eve tried to make themselves equal to God, and committed the original sin. Cain thought of himself as greater than his brother, Abel (Gn 4:8), and committed the first murder. Korah rebelled against the authority of Moses (Nm 16:3), and God punished him by consuming him and his followers in a fiery earthquake (Nm 16:35).
We sometimes limit the meaning of the Second Commandment: do not invoke the name of the Lord, your God, in vain (Ex 20:7, Dt 5:11), in our interpretations to God’s name alone, rather than all that is holy. When we take the Lord name in vain, we use it without purpose or respect. But anything that is holy must be exalted and given great respect. “The sense of the sacred is part of the virtue of religion.”[1] When we speak of God and what is holy, we must do so with fear of the Lord.[2]
It is not difficult to see how disrespect for what is holy has caused a separation of humanity from God. If life was considered holy and worthy of respect, we would not question the Church laws against abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). If the authority of the Church was exalted, we would know that we hear Christ’s voice through the interpretations of the Pope (Lk 10:16, Mt 10:14-15, 40-41, 16:18-19, Jn 13:20, Dt 17:12, 21:5, Sir 7:29-31, Jer 26:12, Ez 3:7, 33:31-33). The respect for the unitive and procreative purposes of marriage should cause us to show greater respect for our sexuality, rather than using it as a source of fun and jokes. The generosity of God’s gifts to us of time, treasure and talents should cause us to share with others and assist others who are in need. Finally, our possession of the truth, whether is relates to the spiritual gifts or the promotion of justice, should move us to share the truth with all persons that we encounter.
Our Blessed Mother was holy, set apart for God, favored by God (Lk 1:28-30), and full of grace. She accepts her new life, the child that she will bear and she cooperates with God (Lk 1:38) as she becomes the Mother of Our Lord (Lk 1:43). She demonstrates her concern for others as she visits her pregnant cousin, Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45). She is obedient to the will of the Father and she acknowledges the greatness of God (Lk 1:46) who has lifted her up in her lowliness (Lk 1:52).
John Carberry is the author of Parables: Catholic Apologetics Through Sacred Scripture (2003) and Sacraments: Signs, Symbols and Significance (2023).
[1] The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), (Strathfield, Australia: Saint Pauls Publications, 2009), 2144.
[2] CCC, 2150.