Meditations on the Three Holies – 2
Meditations on the Three Holies – 2
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Pet. 1:15)
Since we were created in the image and likeness of God—and God is holy—then we ought to be holy. And since we are the Body of Christ—and He is the Head—we must be holy. And since we are children of God—and the son resembles his Father—we must resemble Him in holiness. Thus St. John the Apostle said: “Whoever has been born of God does not commit sin… and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 Jn. 3:9). And he also said: “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him” (1 Jn. 5:18).
And the Lord Himself asks that we be like Him—holy.
He says in the Book of Leviticus: “And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy” (Lev. 20:26). And He also says: “You shall consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44). St. Peter referred to this, saying: “Because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pet. 1:16).
God wants us to be holy, so that we may be with Him.
For Scripture says: “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14), and without holiness we will not be with Him in the heavenly Jerusalem, about which it is said: “There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination” (Rev. 21:27).
And through holiness we also enter into fellowship with the angels, who are described as holy angels, for it is said: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him” (Matt. 25:31), (Mark 8:38), (Luke 9:26). Without holiness we cannot share with these saints, whether angels or the spirits of holy humans, as it is also said about the coming of the Lord: “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints” (Jude 14).
Believers in the early Church during the apostolic era were called saints.
For the Church is a community of saints. Thus St. Paul writes to the Romans: “To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints” (Rom. 1:7). And he writes to the Hebrews, saying: “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling” (Heb. 3:1). And he deepens this meaning, saying: “Greet every saint in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:21). “All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household” (Phil. 4:22).
And St. Peter the Apostle says of the writers of divine inspiration: “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21). And in the hymn recorded by St. John in the Book of Revelation, the heavenly hosts sing to the Lord God: “Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!” (Rev. 15:3).
Truly, He is King over those saints who have enthroned Him over their hearts, those who fulfilled the will of God in their lives. And what was His will except the word of Scripture: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:3).
These are the ones in whose lives God is glorified. People see their good works and glorify their Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). And as the Apostle says of God: “He shall be glorified in His saints” (2 Thess. 1:10). Thus he advises believers: “Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20).
So when we live in holiness, we glorify God by our lives. But when we live in sin, we do not deserve to continue as members of His flock. In the early Church they would remove sinners from among them, outside the assembly of believers—excommunication—as the Apostle commanded: “Put away from yourselves the evil person” (1 Cor. 5:13). “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor. 6:14).
And in eternal life those sinners are cast “into the outer darkness” (Matt. 25:30), outside the luminous city—the heavenly Jerusalem—into which “nothing that defiles shall enter” (Rev. 21:27).
St. Paul the Apostle used to call believers saints in his epistles.
He began his First Epistle to the Corinthians saying: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1 Cor. 1:2).
And in the beginning of his Second Epistle to the Corinthians he says: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia” (2 Cor. 1:1).
And in the beginning of his Epistle to the Ephesians he says: “To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1). And at the beginning of the Epistle to the Philippians he says: “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons” (Phil. 1:1).
And at the beginning of his Epistle to the Colossians he says: “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse” (Col. 1:2).
And in the First Epistle to Timothy, when speaking about the qualities of a widow enrolled in the Church, he says she must be “well reported for… lodging strangers, washing the saints’ feet” (1 Tim. 5:10). And in the Epistle to Titus he says that older women must be “in behavior as becomes holiness” (Titus 2:3). And he says to all believers: “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1).
There are many reasons for considering believers saints.
For they were justified by faith in baptism, where their old man was crucified and they were born of water and the Spirit (Rom. 6:4–6), (John 3:5). And in baptism they have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27); that is, they have put on His righteousness and holiness “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).
And in the Sacrament of the Holy Chrism, they were anointed with the Holy Spirit and thus became holy. And regarding the gifts of the New Covenant, Scripture says to them: “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11).
In our approach to the holy mysteries, we see features of this sanctification.
Among them is the washing of the priest’s hands before the liturgy, as he says: “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Ps. 51:7). “I will wash my hands in innocence; so will I go around Your altar, O Lord” (Ps. 26:6). Likewise, the white garments worn for altar service symbolize the purity or holiness befitting this ministry.
Also, the Divine Liturgy of Communion we call “the Liturgy of the Saints.”
This distinguishes it from the preceding prayers that catechumens may attend, which we call “the Liturgy of the Catechumens.” But the Liturgy of the Saints, after the consecration of the mysteries, includes the phrase: “The holies are for the holy,” meaning those saints who are worthy to partake of the holy mysteries. Thus Samuel the Prophet in the Old Testament said: “Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice” (1 Sam. 16:5).
If this was true in the Old Covenant, what shall we say of the sacrifice of the New Covenant, filled with mystery! Thus we pray before Communion, saying: “Make us all worthy, O our Master, to partake of Your holiness unto the purification of our souls, bodies, and spirits.” And we also say: “Purify our souls, our bodies, our spirits, our eyes, our understanding, and our thoughts…”
We repeat these petitions in other prayers, asking God to grant us purity and holiness.
In the Third-Hour Absolution we say: “Send down upon us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, and purify us from all defilement of flesh and spirit, and transfer us to a spiritual manner of life, that we may walk according to the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” And in the troparia we supplicate the Holy Spirit, saying: “Come and abide in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, O Good One, and save our souls.”
And in another hourly absolution we ask this holiness, saying: “Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, straighten our thoughts, cleanse our intentions… Surround us with Your holy angels, that we may be guarded and guided by their encampment…” And in the Midnight Prayer we say: “Look, O my soul, lest you be weighed down with sleep and be cast outside the Kingdom. Rather, keep watch and cry out, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O God; for the sake of the Theotokos have mercy on us…”
Holiness is the request of our Lord Jesus to the Father on our behalf, and it is the request of the saints for us.
In the supplication of the Son to the Father recorded in John 17, our Lord says concerning us: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
And St. Paul the Apostle says: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23). And St. Peter the Apostle says: “What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet. 3:11–12).
And let us know that we are all members of one holy, catholic Church.
The Lord gave Himself for her “that He might sanctify her, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word.” “That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle… but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:26–27).
Every member of this Church must be sanctified.
Therefore we must strive for this holiness—“Holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14).
(An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, published in Watani Newspaper, 7–10–2007)
For better translation support, please contact the center.
