What is being Holy?

[rwoehmke]

After reading the thread on "Is it harder to be holy today, I am left kind of puzzled with what we all mean when we say someone is Holy. I think that it does not mean looking pious, but well I just don’t really know what being Holy amounts to.

 

[turboEDvo]

I’ve always kinda seen it as being a good person even when it’s difficult or even directly unbeneficial to you. Do you tell your friends to stop bullying a kid? Do you return the dollar the guy walking in front of you just dropped? Even the little questions/actions amount to a lot, if not more. Much of the time, the big moral decisions are easier to make than the small ones. But, maybe that’s the line you have to cross. I try to give a little smile to people, and hopefully they can see God in that.

I would say that, as well as remembering, thanking, and praying to God throughout the day.

Eamon

 

[Fidelis]

What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say?:

**CHRISTIAN HOLINESS **

2012 "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him . . . For those whom he fore knew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified."64

2013 "All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity."65 All are called to holiness: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."66

In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that . . . doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.67
2014 Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ. This union is called “mystical” because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments - “the holy mysteries” - and, in him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. God calls us all to this intimate union with him, even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of this mystical life are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all.

2015 The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle.68 Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes:

He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.69

64 Rom 8:28-30.
65 LG 40 § 2.
66 Mt 5:48.
67 LG 40 § 2.
68 Cf. 2 Tim 4.
69 St. Gregory of Nyssa, Hom. in Cant. 8G 44,941C.

 

[tom.wineman]

Holy is from Saxon means the same as sacred from Latin.

Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood.

 

[tom.wineman]

Holy is from Saxon means the same as sacred from Latin.

**Set apart to the service or worship of God; hallowed; sacred; reserved from profane or common use; holy vessels; a holy priesthood.
**

 

[1_Maria]

Fidelis:

What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say?:

Fidelis…I’m always happy to see the Catechism being used on the Forum…it’s a gift to all of us. Thank you.

Maria

 

[1_Maria]

Fidelis:

What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say?:

Fidelis…I’m always happy to see the Catechism being used so well on the Forum…it’s a gift to all of us. Thank you.

Maria

 

[rwoehmke]

OK Fidelis holiness means to be conformed to Jesus. I guess for me that is still theory. In addition to Mass, the Rosary, the Sacraments, and doing my best to avoid sin what does holiness look like. How would say people at work or in the grocery store recognize holiness? For that matter how would I recognize holiness in myself? Maybe what I am asking is on a behavior level what does it mean to be holy?

 

[Fidelis]

I would start with the 10 commandments as a base (Exodus 20; Matthew 19).

[16] And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?”
[17] And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”
[18] He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness,
[19] Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
[20] The young man said to him, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?”
[21] Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Then look at Micah 6:8:

He has showed you, O man, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Jesus tells us what this looks like in the Beatitudes Matthew 5:1-12:

[1]Seeing the crowds, he [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
[2] And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
[3] "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[4] "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
[5] "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
[6] "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
[7] "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
[8] "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
[9] "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
[10] "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11]
"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
[12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Read the entire Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5–7) and the Letter of James. Get ahold of a good guide to holiness like The Imitation of Christ and start putting all these things into practice. Then you’ll start to get the idea.

 

[mikworld]

What it is to be holy is a simple thing really. Everything the Chatechism says about Holiness is dead center (like always), but I would say that holiness is being the person God is calling you to be right now. I think that is pretty much holiness…

Justin