So far from Holiness?

I've had an epiphany! Well, maybe not. I just thought it might be a good way to mention the Feast of the Epiphany. In our house, we use this feast day as a marker to take down our Christmas decorations and put away our nativity set, which includes three beautiful, kingly statues.

Anyway, I've been thinking about something I heard in a homily on Epiphany. There was some reference to holiness which elicited from me the sad thought, "I'm so far away from holiness." But as I was receiving the Eucharist (the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus), I thought perhaps I was wrong about being so far from holiness. After all, Jesus is "uniquely holy." (Lumen Gentium, Chapter V)

We are called to follow our "own proper path (to holiness) by faithful love." (Lumen Gentium) You and I can become holy as we receive the graces God gives us and strive to build up others and "tend toward the perfection of charity."

In our humanity we may be imperfect, but as we strive with the help of God and the impulse of the Holy Spirit to follow his path by loving each other, it doesn't matter what our "walk of life" is, because we depend not on ourselves, but on God's "own purpose and grace" given freely to us.

Like the three kings, we must stay the course and follow the path that leads to Jesus.

Take a few minutes to reflect on our "Universal Call to Holiness" in Chapter V of Lumen Gentium, which can be found HERE.

Happy Epiphany!

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com

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