Monday, April 9, 2018

On Holiness in today's world

This morning, on the day when the Church celebrates the (transferred) Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the Holy See Press Centre published the text of the Holy Father, Pope Francis' most recent Apostolic Exhortation entitled Gaudete et exultate (Rejoice and be glad): on the call to holiness in today's world.


In his third Apostolic Exhortation (following Evangelii gaudium and Amoris laetitia) Pope Francis reflects on the call to holiness, and how we can respond to that call in the modern world. My modest goal in this Exhortation, Pope Francis says, is to re-propose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time.

The five chapters of Gaudete et exsultate follow a logical progression, beginning with a consideration of the call to holiness as it is in itself. The Holy Father than examines two subtle enemies of holiness, namely, contemporary gnosticism and contemporary pelagianism.

The heart of Gaudete et exsultate is dedicated to the idea that holiness means following Jesus. In this third chapter, Pope Francis considers each of the Beatitudes as embodying what it means to be holy. But if the Beatitudes show us what holiness means, the Gospel also shows us the criterion by which we will be judged: I was hungry and you gave me food … thirsty and you gave me drink … a stranger and you welcomed me … naked and you clothed me … sick and you took care of me … in prison and you visited me.

Pope Francis devotes the fourth chapter of Gaudete et exsultate to certain aspects of the call to holiness that he feels will prove especially meaningful in today’s world: perseverance, patience and meekness; joy and a sense of humour; boldness and passion; the communal dimension of holiness; constant prayer.

Finally, the Exhortation makes practical suggestions for living out the call to holiness. The Christian life is a constant battle, the Pope says. We need strength and courage to withstand the temptations of the devil and to proclaim the Gospel. In the fifth chapter, he speaks about the need for combat and vigilance, and calls us to exercise the gift of discernment, which is all the more necessary today, in a world with so many distractions that keep us from hearing the Lord’s voice.

It is my hope, Pope Francis concludes, that these pages will prove helpful by enabling the whole Church to devote herself anew to promoting the desire for holiness.

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