Good morning. The Catechism states that “‘by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence, they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed” (1285). In other words, when we were anointed with the Sacred Chrism at Confirmation, we received the “grace of apostleship: and were “set apart for the Gospel of God” to boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world by “word and deed.”
We are called to “belong to Jesus Christ” and “to be holy” in the “obedience of faith.” Jesus tells us to “be holy because I [am] holy” (1 Peter 1: 16). So how do we grow in holiness in life? Saint Peter instructs to be “like obedient children” by not acting with the “desires of your former ignorance but, as [Jesus] who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct” (1:14-15). Moreover, in the Vatican II document, titled “Lumen Gentium,” the Church fathers wrote on this universal call to holiness in the Church, saying: “In order that the faithful may reach this perfection, they must use their strength accordingly as they have received it, as a gift from Christ” (40). In other words, we are called to discern how God is calling us to use the gift of our time, talent, and treasure that He has given us to fulfill the great commandment to love God and love our neighbor.
In the same way that Jonah was a sign to the Ninevite and Jesus was a sign to God’s people during his time on earth, Christ continues to be a sign for our generation and beyond. Therefore, as the Vatican II fathers instruct us: “they must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably shown by the life of so many saints in Church history” (40). Not only do we look at Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as signs of holiness to strive for in our own lives, we also have the saints to model our lives after to grow in holiness.
And so, my sisters and brothers in Christ, let us “follow the poor Christ, the humble and cross-bearing Christ in order to be worthy of being sharers in His glory. Every person must walk unhesitatingly according to his own personal gifts and duties in the path of living faith, which arouses hope and works through charity.” (40). Therefore, let us receive our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the Eucharist worthily and go in peace from Mass, glorifying the Lord by our lives, so that we can return to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and receive the Lord worthily in the Eucharist. Amen.
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