{"id":4453,"date":"2026-09-28T11:51:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T11:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/?p=4453"},"modified":"2026-09-28T11:57:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T11:57:41","slug":"reflection-responding-to-the-baptismal-call-to-holiness-iii-bernard-mongeau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ametur-msc.org\/website\/reflection-responding-to-the-baptismal-call-to-holiness-iii-bernard-mongeau\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflection: Responding to the baptismal call to holiness (III)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy. (Lev. 19,1-2)<\/h3>\n

Part (I): Reflection: Responding to the baptismal call to holiness (I) – AMETUR MSC<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Part (II): Reflection: Responding to the baptismal call to holiness (II) – AMETUR MSC<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Without the Church and the example of saints, it is impossible to achieve holiness. <\/strong>
\nWhen we profess the Creed, he says: I believe in the Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic, but also a visible sign of life and union with Christ. To profess the Church as holy means to point to her as the Bride of Christ, for whom he gave himself precisely in order to make her holy (cf. Eph 5:25-26). This as it were objective gift of holiness is offered to all the baptized. In fact, the holiness of the Church flows from God\u2019s self-commitment in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Church, whose mystery is being set forth by this Sacred Synod, is believed to be indefectibly holy. Indeed Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is praised as \u201cuniquely holy,\u201d loved the Church as His bride, delivering Himself up for her. He did this that He might sanctify her. He united her to Himself as His own body and brought it to perfection by the gift of the Holy Spirit for God\u2019s glory. From the Church he [a Christian] receives the grace of the sacraments that sustains him on the \u201cway.\u201d From the Church he learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source in the all-holy Virgin Mary; he discerns it in the authentic witness of those who live it; he discovers it in the spiritual tradition and long history of the saints who have gone before him and whom the liturgy celebrates in the rhythms of the sanctoral cycle. The holiness of the Church rests on two foundations: its origin is sacred since it is about God the Father, Christ and the Spirit. The Church calls for consecration and has the means to bring conversion through the gift of the Spirit, the reading of Scripture, sacramental celebration and ethical practice. The Church\u2019s existence has meaning if it remains firmly united to Christ, that is, in community, in his Word, in the Eucharist and in prayer. The Church\u2019s existence and witness to the credibility of God\u2019s love in Christ are best justified by lived holiness. For this reason, the greatest sign of the presence of the Spirit of Christ in the life of the Church is certainly the holiness manifested in the lives of Christians who, at every moment of history, bear a new witness to the Gospel.<\/p>\n

The people of our time find it difficult to grasp the holiness of the Church, because they are well informed about its crises, the sufferings caused by the sins and the inconsistencies of its believers. This has negative consequences on the relationship between holiness and sin in the Church, which also affects its credibility and mission in today\u2019s world. Its credibility is all the greater because the holiness which has been conferred upon it by Christ permeates its members who must, with the help of God, live, maintain and perfect the holiness they have received. Perhaps more than ever the words of Saint Paul VI are verified, stating that Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly pro claiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God\u2019s grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors. \u201cThe saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church\u2019s history.\u201d Indeed, \u201choliness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal.<\/p>\n

\"Saint<\/p>\n

In this sense, the Church is a living organism that grows, develops and spreads in the holiness of Christians themselves. By dedicating themselves, Christians are capable of witnessing to Christ in society. The rediscovery of the Church as \u201cmystery\u201d, or as a people \u201cgathered together by the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit\u201d, was bound to bring with it a rediscovery of the Church\u2019s \u201choliness\u201d, understood in the basic sense of belonging to him who is in essence the Holy One, the \u201cthrice Holy\u201d (cf. Is 6:3). It is therefore necessary to inspire in all the faithful a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for conversion and personal renewal in a context of ever more intense prayer and of solidarity with one\u2019s neighbour, especially the most needy. Holiness is beautiful and demanding, because it assumes the responsibility of every Christian not only for himself but also for the whole ecclesial community. Thus, it is evident to everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; by this holiness as such a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society. The credibility and prophetic character of the Church depend on the individual will of Christians to respond to the universal call to holiness. Saint John Paul II affirms that the fullness of holiness is an essential part of being a Christian and he unhesitatingly emphasizes that holiness is a perspective in which to place any pastoral approach. Holiness is a high measure of regular Christian life because the whole life of the community and family must go in this direction. Holiness in the Church offers an opportunity to see the possibilities of following the personal path of Jesus Christ in the lives of the saints. The saints testify that there can be no one else in place of humans, that they are irreplaceable before God as well as within the mission that is theirs in the world. That\u2019s why the world needs humans and expects from them the simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, love for all, especially for the small and the poor, abandonment and modesty, and renunciation. Without the mark of such holiness, it is unlikely that the word of humans will find its way into the hearts of people today, while with it, it will become the light of hope and the yeast of true world change. For a Christian, being aware of his role in the Church and in the world also means opening oneself to the concrete realization of the path of holiness in daily life. And the goal of Pope Francis is to repropose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, challenges and opportunities. Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n

Holiness is a free and personal acceptance of the will of God.<\/strong>
\nHoliness requires that one reflects and commits oneself, without pressure or force, however negligible they may be, to the group in which one is situated. Everyone brings into life choices that define the direction and way of life. Saint Ignatius emphasizes that there are conditions for a good and healthy choice, which include the time and the object of choice. It is that time that can also be understood as the inner state of the mind. It is a subjective vision of any moment of spiritual struggle, or of a peaceful moment when one reflects on what God asks of man and woman, or of the time of the great grace of God in the mission of life.<\/p>\n

When a Christian must make personal choices, it is not a question of choosing between good or bad things, but in the spirit of the Gospel, it is necessary to choose what helps a person to love more, or what allows an individual to progress on the path of love.<\/p>\n

The chosen path is something radically personal that requires an effort on the part of each individual to discover the field in which God invites him\/her to pursue his own path of holiness. To achieve personal holiness, it is essential to delve into the roots of life and make concrete decisions. In this way, led by God\u2019s grace, we shape by many small gestures the holiness God has willed for us, not as men and women sufficient unto ourselves but rather \u201cas good stewards of the manifold grace of God\u201d.<\/p>\n

And in this respect, there is an immediate temptation of which we must be aware. It is the one that more than any other diminishes the desire for holiness that our Creator has written in our hearts, the temptation to consider this choice in abstract terms. Holiness is the aspiration to focus entirely on God. Christian holiness is one because it is realized through union with Christ, but it is also different because it is realized in concrete and living people and cannot be abstract. Saint Paul declares that God: he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will. The essence of holiness consists in transforming the heart of each one into a heart of love or in loving God and one\u2019s neighbor with all one\u2019s heart. Which, of course, is not possible if one is not also ready to coordinate his will with that of God, who is holiness.<\/p>\n

Holiness requires that one reflects and commits oneself, without pressure or force, however negligible they may be, to the group in which one is situated.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Saint John Henry defined holiness as a set of things: to love, fear, and obey God, to be just, honest, meek, pure in heart, forgiving, heavenly-minded, self-denying, humble, and resigned, … to be so religious, so unearthly… to become a new creature to be separate from sin, to hate the works of the world, the flesh, and the devil; to take pleasure in keeping God\u2019s commandments; to do things as He would have us do them; to live habitually as in the sight of the world to come, as if we had broken the ties of this life, and were dead already. Then he asked an urgent existential question: Why cannot we be saved without possessing such a frame and temper of mind? It is essential that love be the engine of holiness, not other extraordinary qualities.<\/p>\n

It is the call of Pope Francis to try to embody holiness in current circumstances, with dangers, challenges and opportunities present in today\u2019s culture which are: a sense of anxiety, sometimes violent, that distracts and debilitates; negativity and sullenness; the self-content bred by consumerism; individualism; and all those forms of ersatz spirituality \u2013 having nothing to do with God.<\/p>\n

The challenge of accepting the call to holiness does not diminish one\u2019s awareness of all subjective obstacles and it is not uncommon to delay and justify one\u2019s own compromises which distance the individual from a serious journey. All living conditions and all moments are more appropriate because all obstacles are the very means God is giving us to draw us to depend more deeply on Him. Every saint is a mission: he manifests the Father\u2019s plan to contemplate and incarnate at a certain moment in history some aspect of the Gospel. That is why holiness is not a simple life option, but an exclusive path. Holiness is the choice of a friendship. [\u2026] Let us try and place holiness as a radical option, a choice. It is difficult, in fact, to say \u201cno\u201d to holiness in a direct, definitive and exclusive way. [\u2026] God wants us to be holy in the totality of our lives. This is the mission to which each of us is called. The qualities by which saints are recognized in the world are endurance, patience and gentleness; joy and sense of humor; boldness and fervor; in community and constant prayer.<\/p>\n

To conclude<\/strong>
\nThe call to holiness is an initiative of God, and there can be no one else in place of each Christian because everyone is irreplaceable in his mission towards the world. Holiness is present in everyone to the extent that everyone participates in the grace of God. Holiness is for all members of the Church. Holiness is the gift of God to enter into relationship with Him and there is no growth in holiness without renunciation and spiritual struggle. Every Christian is called to holiness, and every Christian gives an answer to God by living here and now. This call to follow the holiness of God represents the particularity of those who are aware of their belonging to God. The measure of holiness is love, that is why everyone is called to live and act with love by witnessing in the detail menu of daily affairs. Holiness reflects the presence of God in the world; it is a reflection of the perfect gift of the Son on the cross by the Father for every person. Holiness is a personal union with Christ. The challenges, vicissitudes of life and obstacles on the path to holiness are not an opportunity and a way for God to attract each person even more keenly to Himself and thus allow him to achieve the fullness of communion. Holiness is always a matter of the heart and openness to love, building relationships with God, by accepting a personal call and surrendering to God.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s try to place holiness as a radical option, a choice. To all of us the beloved of God called to be holy, grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 1,7), to be a visible sign of God with us, to be on earth the Heart of God.<\/p>\n

Bernard Mongeau, MSC. Dominican Republic Province<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy. (Lev. 19,1-2) Part (I): Reflection: Responding to the baptismal call to holiness (I) – AMETUR MSC Part (II): Reflection: Responding to the baptismal call to holiness (II) – AMETUR MSC   Without the Church and the example of saints, it is impossible to achieve holiness. When we profess the Creed, he says: I believe in the Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":86,"featured_media":4455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t