As I have been reading about holiness and what it means to live a truly Christian life one fact keep popping up. Even though we are created good by God and strive to live holy lives, we re-main sinners. Even though we grow in holiness, living more closely united with Jesus in thought, word, and deed by the action of grace, we never escape the fact that we remain sinners. It seems that we are always at the beginning of the spiritual life, just getting started. It can get frustrating!
The journey of growth from sinfulness to holiness is never ending. Which one of us can say that we have totally escaped pride, envy, gluttony, anger, lust, greed, and sloth? While we have as our goal the virtues of humility, kindness, generosity, self-control, chastity, patience, and zeal, we don’t seem to achieve them. Just when I think I have achieved being patient, I get im-pulsive and want things my way now! Just when I think I am content with what I have, I want more than I ought. Just when I think I have conquered pride and have achieved humility, I be-come proud of it. No need to mention the other sins, they seem to be with me all the time.
Yet, God calls us to live holy and virtuous lives. Jesus calls us to a unity with him so that we become like him in thought, word, in deed. He calls us to reform our lives to live as he lived, to think as he thought, and love as he loved. We get to know him when reading the Gospels, celebrating the sacraments, praying, and listening to holy teaching. One of my patients said it quite clearly that while we all know how we ought to be, we just don’t do it. We all fall short.
It is ironic that as we get closer to God, we become more aware of our sinfulness. I no-tice that when I look in the mirror using dim light, I look pretty good. Then when I turn on the light, I notice the blemishes and wrinkles! Perhaps that is the way it is when we become more like Jesus. He “turns on the light” and we see ourselves as we really are. We are more aware of our sinfulness. I would have to be totally in the dark not to notice my sin. I become painfully aware of my faults, only in the light.
I wonder how many of us prefer to excuse our sinfulness saying that our sinful behavior is just natural. I agree, sin is our natural way of being. God calls us to rise above our sinfulness through grace to live holy lives of virtue. Grace perfects nature. I fear that too many of us settle for less than what we could be, holier.
“May the Lord bless and keep you. May he let his face shine upon you, be gracious to you and give you his peace.”
