When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."
The thing with sanctity is that it seems difficult to reconcile its superlative splendor with its accessibility for each one of us. Some read the beatitudes as the supreme ideal of an accomplished Christian life - and they are right. For the righteousness, mercy, and purity portrayed there are far beyond ordinary. A saint is a rare gem twinkling on a gravel field. Nevertheless, holiness is accessible to us all. It would be sad to consider us to be no more than ashen pebbles in the eyes of God. For there is a glittering side to all of us.
Theology can actually help us reconcile both aspects. Holiness has always one and the same root cause: God. Each fruit of holiness is the effect of His grace. So if we consider the life of a saint, all the light stems from the fact that she or he allowed God to work His wonders. To allow these wonders to impregnate your life through and through: that is the final victory of sanctity. Now, if we are still young, we probably have not yet become the fullest “versions” of ourselves. But we have already allowed God’s wonders to work their magic in our lives at least here or there. Hence, His grace has brought forth fruits of holiness in us already. We have radiated in the gravel at times. Holiness is nothing alien for us. Grace is nothing alien for us. God is quite familiar to us.
The Holy Spirit is the author of the beautiful and artful wonders in the lives of the saints. He is also the artist who has worked small moments of holiness in your own life. Look at the occasions when He took control and shed light into the world through you. And renew your desire to consolidate that dynamism of Him acting in you. He is the artist, you are His masterpiece. Today, invite Him to take possession of your day again. Hold out to Him your freedom, present to Him your will, offer Him your intellect. He will impregnate them with Faith and Hope and Love and make your acts shine in this world like spiritual jewels. Be holy to live wholly by His grace today!
Comments