call to holiness

In my opinion, you are the most beautiful creature in

the world!

OK, I’m biased. God

MOST REV. BRODERICK S. PABILLO, D.D.Auxiliary Bishop of Manila

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Pastoral Priorities for the new millennium according to Novo

Millennio Ineunte1.HOLINESS• There is a great desire in people to

be holy.• Holiness is attractive to people even

in our times.• The Church is holy because its goal is

to make people holy and she has the means to make people holy.

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Pastoral Priorities for the new millennium according to Novo

Millennio Ineunte1.HOLINESS

• All the activities of the Church is to help promote holiness.

• Bring out in people the desire to be saints, to be what they really are.

• Present the Saints to the people as role models

• People should see in us our striving to be holy ourselves. We witness to this.

WRONG IDEAS ABOUT HOLINESS

1.It is only for some chosen

few. It is rare and very difficult, if not altogether impossible, for

ordinary people.


2. One needs to be a priest or a

nun who will have the time

and the training to be holy.


3.It is corny. One has to be goody-goody, with one’s feet off the ground.


4. Holiness is of the

past but not for us in the

modern world.


5. Holiness can wait later on, perhaps

when one is already old and has no more

cares about the world.

6. Holiness is not really that important. It is good if one has it, but really one can get by quite well without it.



7. To be holy is to be without sin. Our life is

already tainted by sin. WE have no

chance for it.


8. One can be over

holy. Baka makalampas sa langit!

Leviticus 19, 2Speak to all the

congregation of the people of Israel and

say to them: You shall be holy, for I the

Lord your God am holy.

CALL TO HOLINESS FROM THE BIBLE.


Ephesians 1, 4 He chose us in Christ before the

foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.

1 Corinthians 1, 8He will also strengthen you

to the end, so that you may be blameless (holy) on the day of our Lord

Jesus Christ.


1 Thessalonians 4, 3 (life pleasing to Go)

For this is the will of God, your sanctification:

that you will abstain from fornication….


2 Thessalonians 1, 11 (judgement at xt coming)

To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you

worthy of his call (which is holiness) and will fulfill by his power every good

resolve and work of faith.


WHAT IS HOLINESS?Holiness is the high standard

of ordinary Christian living.

(Novo Millennio Ineunte # 31)

WHAT IS HOLINESS?

Holiness is the

perfection of charity.

WHAT IS HOLINESS?

Holiness is doing the will of God.

WHAT IS HOLINESS?

Holiness is oneness with

God.

WHAT IS HOLINESS?

Holiness is closer

following of Jesus

* God is holy. We cannot approach God if we are

not holy.*To be one with God then

is to be holy.* To be one with God is to

love him.

* To love him is to keep his

commandment.* His commandment is

that we love one another.(Jn 14,15.21; 15,9-

10)

• Jn. 14,15.21‘If you love me, you will keep my

commandments…They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be love by my Father,

and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’

• Jn. 15,9-10 As the Father has loved me, so

I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my

commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments

and abide in his love.

WE BELIEVE IN ONE,HOLY,

CATHOLIC CHURCHThe Catholic Church is

holy because:•Jesus, its root, is

holy. He is the way to the

Father.

WE BELIEVE IN ONE,HOLY, CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Catholic Church is holy because:

•It is capable to make people holy by the action

of the Holy Spirit.

WE BELIEVE IN ONE,HOLY, CATHOLIC

CHURCHThe Catholic Church is

holy because:• It has the means to

make people holy.The saints are proofs that holiness abounds

in the Church.

MEANS TO HOLINESS1. Encounter with

Jesus in the sacraments.

2. Praying.

3. Word of God in the Bible.

4. Faithfulness in the daily

duties of our life.

MEANS TO HOLINESS

5. Avoiding sin and temptation

6. Doing good to others

MEANS TO HOLINESS

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Priests’ specific journey to holiness

There are greater reasons that motivate a priest to be holy:

1. That he may be worthy of the grace marked on him to stand in persona Christi capitis.

2. That he may be the living instrument of the work of salvation.

ex opere operato ex opere operantis

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Priests’ specific journey to holiness

Our specific path: Holiness in and through ministry.

We not only sanctify others in our ministry. Our ministry sanctifies us. By acting in persona Christi we become close to him. We ourselves become spiritually charged in our pastoral work. Check this out in each activity that you do as priests.

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Holiness is not something a priest can attain by himself or apart from the

community of faith. The priest becomes holy within the community by ministering to

it and leading it.

In acting as shepherd, the presbyter experiences his own transformation in the image of the One he represents.

This is how he becomes holy.

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Important elements in the specific journey of the priest to holiness.

A. A climate of proximity to Jesus, or friendship and personal encounter with him.

B. The Blessed Virgin Mary.

C. Liturgy of the Hours.

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Hence according to John Paul II:

“Spending time in intimate conversation with the Good Shepherd in the Blessed Sacrament is a pastoral priority far superior to any other.”

CORRECT IDEAS ON HOLINESS

1. The objective gift of holiness is offered to all the baptized.

Baptism is a true entrance into the holiness of God through incorporation into Christ and the indwelling of his Spirit. By

holiness we avoid a life of mediocrity, that is, reducing Christianity to minimalistic

ethics and shallow religiosity.

2. Holiness is a call and a task for every Christian, not just for a chosen few.3. Holiness is achieved in the ordinary Christian living. “Do your ordinary duties extraordinarily well.”



4. The ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation and tempearament of each individual.

5. There is a need for a genuine training in holiness.

6. To be holy is THE most important thing in life. There is only one sadness in life, that is, not to be holy!

Ultimately, what is holiness?

Holiness is…..Drawing close to God

Perfection of loveDoing the will of GodFollowing Jesus Christ.

MOST REV. BRODERICK S. PABILLO, D.D.Auxiliary Bishop of Manila

call to holiness

Spiritual