BE HOLY

      The reading at Mass today is from chapter 19 of Leviticus.  It begins: "The Lord said to Moses, 'Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: BE HOLY, FOR I, THE LORD, YOUR GOD, AM HOLY.'"

    Then he goes on to lay out a blueprint for holiness that is given in the commandments of the Law.  It is filled with many "You shall not" commands and a few "You shall" directives.  It does not encompass everything that will be found in life, but it does provide a path.

    This first reading for today's liturgy ends with a call to love: love of God and love of our neighbor as ourselves.  And why do this?  Because, the Lord tells us - "I am the Lord".

    To become holy is to acknowledge God as the source of our life and of his life within us.  The God of all holiness lives within us through his Holy Spirit, given to us in Baptism, strengthened in Confirmation, and renewed daily in his invitation to walk with him in love.

    Is the journey an easy one?  As you know from experience, the answer is no.  However, we are called to manifest his holiness in the lives we live, and the grace to do so is found in his gift of his Spirit.

    Our Lent allows us to find the best ways to respond to his call to holiness, and to step forward with courage.