The Call to Holiness

Homily for Friday of the 2nd Week of Advent

We gather each morning to celebrate the Eucharist together. The word that we use for receiving the Eucharist is “communion” which literally means “with unity.” We celebrate God’s presence among us together. Yet at the same time, we recognize that we are each individuals with different personalities, different talents, and different weaknesses.

There is one thing, however, that can be said of each one of us. We are all called to be holy. The call to holiness is universal. God asks each of us to use our different personalities, our different talents and even our different weaknesses to pursue the goal of holiness. Each of us must pursue that goal as individuals. Therefore, there is no one way to become holy.

Today, using God’s voice, Isaiah tells us that God hopes that we will reach that goal. At the same time, he reminds us that the path to holiness is found in obedience to the commandments.

Jesus highlights this fact in the Gospel passage for today. John the Baptist pursued holiness by going out into the desert and living a solitary life, dressed in the skins of animals and eating what he could find in the desert. Jesus could not have been more different. He ate and drank. He touched the people who needed to be healed. He did not lead the solitary life of John. However, both of them had a reputation for holiness. This inevitably led to their being criticized.

The Gospel ends with an aphorism that teaches us not to worry about our differences. We simply need to concentrate on doing that which God asks of each of us.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator