In this sermon, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the meaning of holiness as the essential life every believer must live, for the Scripture says: “Without holiness, no one shall see the Lord.” Holiness is not optional—it is a divine calling, for God Himself is holy and desires His children to be like Him in purity and righteousness.

🔹 God’s Holiness and Humanity’s Call:
God is holy by nature; He rejects sin and cannot coexist with it. He created man in His image, in righteousness and holiness. Yet humanity lost this image through sin and separation from God, and Christ came to restore it through His incarnation and redemption.

🔹 Holiness as the Mark of God’s Children:
True children of God are those who live in holiness. Scripture says: “He who is born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him.” The saints are God’s children, and those living in sin cannot have fellowship with God, for light has no communion with darkness.

🔹 The Holiness of the Church and Its Members:
The Church is called “the Holy Church” because everything belonging to God must be holy: the Holy Bible, the Holy Altar, the Holy Sacraments, and the Holy Vessels. Thus, anyone who wishes to belong truly to the Church must live a holy life. That is why the priest proclaims in the liturgy: “The holies are for the holy.”

🔹 Means of Holiness:
God gave the sacraments of the Church to sanctify us—baptism washes away sin, chrismation gives us the Holy Spirit, confession cleanses us again, and Holy Communion unites us with the Holy Christ. Each sacrament helps us grow in holiness and divine fellowship.

🔹 Holiness in Daily Life:
Holiness is not merely ritual or emotion; it is a way of life—pure thought, pure word, and pure action. A holy tongue, a clean heart, and a sanctified mind mark the life of a true Christian. Each day should be lived as “a holy day,” for God’s presence sanctifies our time and actions.

🔹 Holiness Begins with Repentance:
The first step toward holiness is true repentance and resistance to sin, even unto blood, as St. Paul says. Repentance is not only the rejection of evil but the pursuit of righteousness—a continual growth in holiness leading to perfection.

🔹 Spiritual Conclusion:
Pope Shenouda calls everyone to begin a new holy year—through repentance, confession, and inner cleansing. Whoever desires to see the Lord must live in purity and holiness, for this is the true mark of God’s children and the only path to the Kingdom of Heaven.

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