August 13, 2023
A few days ago, I was listening to the daily Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz – a prayer practice that I highly recommend! He was talking about how we are called to the highest desire: the love of God. He said that the desire for eternity in heaven and to be holy, while not bad, are not as perfectly desirable as loving God. Now, I don’t disagree with Fr. Mike. If we spoke more on the subject, we’d probably come to the same understanding – that we are called to be in union with God, which can be described as loving God, existing with God for eternity in heaven, and being holy. Saint Peter, in his first letter, tells us, “Just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy because I am holy.’” – 1Peter 1:15-16 Saint Peter is here quoting Leviticus, which, along with his assertion to be holy, is solid ground to desire holiness.
What are we to do to grow in holiness? To love God and desire union with Him for eternity are good places to start. There is also the reality that faith itself is a gift of God’s grace, so we may find ourselves praying for an increase in faith, leading to holiness. The problem seems to me that the idea of claiming holiness, or even the desire to be holy, can be seen as arrogant in our world today. I agree that claiming to be holy would undoubtedly be haughty, but claiming the desire to be holy is something else entirely. To want to be holy is like approaching the ocean with a bucket and setting out to empty the water one bucket at a time. This analogy is, of course, ridiculous, and as I often say, every analogy is a bad analogy. To find the usefulness of this image, we must first agree that, in some unknown way, trying to empty the ocean of its water is somehow a good thing and not insane, as would be the typical first reaction. The analogy holds that one can never empty the ocean of water using a bucket, and we likewise can never receive the fullness of faith from God. We can never be as holy as God, nor do we diminish the holiness of God even in the slightest way by receiving holiness from God – God is pure and perfect, unending holiness.
At this point, some may seek a more solid plan for obtaining holiness than an uncertain analogy. To try and satisfy this need, I give you two tried and true methods for developing and receiving holiness: The Sacrament of Reconciliation and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Both are my go-to suggestions for anyone wanting to be a better disciple and grow in holiness. I have already increased the opportunities for you to practice both directions, and those opportunities will soon increase yet again.
Why Reconciliation and Adoration? Reconciliation helps us recognize the areas where we need God’s grace. It is in naming these areas that we are thus able to invite God into ourselves through our woundedness so that God may heal us and make us more like Him. Adoration is prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, conversing with Jesus Christ, and asking Him to mold us into the image that we adore – Christ Himself! Both these practices, therefore, have the same intention to make us more like Christ himself by encountering Him.
How often is it best to go to Adoration and Reconciliation? Everyone is busy in their own ways, and your schedule is much different than mine. It has been said that a working father of several children cannot pray like a Trappist, however much he may want to. In this way, it is best to pray as we can, not as we should. My recommendation for Reconciliation is to first fulfill the Church’s precept to go at least once a year and more often if you are aware of committing any mortal sins. When people are open to it, I suggest confessing your sins once a month is good practice. If you are skeptical, try it for a year, twelve moments of courage sitting down with a priest and talking about what went wrong – I promise you’ll be better for it! As for Adoration, the goal for most is probably an hour a week. Perhaps an hour is too long – stop in for 5-10 minutes. Maybe you need that daily routine – I hope to have daily opportunities available in the coming month!
Two Parishes, One Heart,
Fr. Adam