Holiness and sanctification
1. God’s Call to Holiness
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that God wants all believers to be saints, citing the Apostle Paul in (2 Thessalonians 2:13): “God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit.” Holiness, therefore, is a divine call for every believer.
2. The Meaning of Holiness and Sanctification
Holiness is not a title for a specific group but a quality of anyone sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The Church is called “the Holy Church” because Christ sanctified and cleansed her with water and the word. Thus, all believers are called to be a holy community, a sanctified people in the body of the Church.
3. The Holy Things for the Holy Ones
The Pope points out that the Divine Liturgy is called “The Liturgy of the Saints,” because those who receive the Holy Mysteries must be pure. Hence, the priest prays, “The Holies for the Holy,” asking God to purify souls, bodies, and spirits to be worthy of the divine sacraments.
4. The Beginning of Sanctification in Baptism and Chrismation
The first sanctification a person receives is in baptism, where old sins are washed away, and in the sacrament of Chrismation the Holy Spirit dwells within, helping the person to be sanctified continually. This sanctification is a free gift from God, not purchased or earned by human effort, but through faith and grace.
5. Repentance as Ongoing Sanctification
After baptism, a person needs daily repentance that renews sanctification. Through repentance, one receives forgiveness through the blood of Christ, for there is no sanctification without the blood of redemption.
6. Comprehensive Holiness in Thought, Heart, and Life
Holiness includes mind, heart, body, and behavior. Scripture says: “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). It is the way to heaven and union with God, not merely abandoning sin but aligning one’s will with the divine will and loving good from the heart.
7. Holiness as a Gift and Cooperation
The Holy Spirit works in man to sanctify him, yet without compulsion; man must cooperate. Holiness is a partnership between grace and will, between God’s action and human response, and it is also a fellowship of love and complete surrender to God.
8. Holiness in Everyday Life and Family
Holiness is not only for monks but for all people in every condition. It is possible in marriage, work, family, and community. God wants the sanctification of the whole world, that believers may be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
9. The Spiritual Joy of Holiness
Holiness is not a path of suffering but of joy and delight in communion with God. Whoever lives it experiences the words of David the Prophet: “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” rejoicing in a holy life as a path of grace and union with God.
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