Chapter One The Call to Holiness

Solemnity of Christ the King

 Opening Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful and
enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
V. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

Let us pray. O God, by the light of the Holy Spirit, You

have taught the hearts of Your faithful. In the same Spirit
help us to know what is truly right and always to rejoice in
Your consolation. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
 First Joyful Mystery The Annunciation

The First Luminous Mystery—The Baptism of the Lord

And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming

down, as a dove from heaven, and He remained upon
Him. And I knew Him not; but He who sent me to
baptize with water, said to me: He upon whom thou shalt
see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, He it
is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. John 1:32-33
“You see, the whole Church is moving toward a Catholicism that is
more authentic, more observant, more enthusiastic, and theologically
more orthodox. I profoundly disagreed with the rather laissez-faire,
casual kind of liturgy and Catholicism. There are good people on
that side, and I disagree with them and they disagree with me. But I
have to tell you this: They’re all getting old. I have never found one
person under the age of 32 who agrees with their position. Very
interesting!”
 Holiness
What is it?
How am I called to it?
How do I achieve it?
What kind of roadblocks do I encounter?
 Holiness

Charity is the soul of the holiness to which all are called: it "governs,
shapes, and perfects all the means of sanctification." CCC 826

All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of
Christian life and to the perfection of charity." All are called to holiness:
"Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." CCC 2013

The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness

without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the
ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and
joy of the Beatitudes: CCC 2015
 Holiness
"Holiness is not found in such and such a practice; it consists in a
disposition of heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of
God, conscious of our weakness, and confident -- even boldly so --
of His fatherly goodness." St. Therese the Little Flower

There are in truth three states of the converted: the beginning, the
middle, and the perfection. In the beginning, they experience the
charms of sweetness; in the middle, the contests of temptation; and
in the end, the fullness of perfection. Pope St. Gregory the Great

If we truly think of Christ as our source of holiness, we shall

refrain from anything wicked or impure in thought or act and thus
show ourselves to be worthy bearers of his name. For the quality of
holiness is shown not by what we say but by what we do in life.
St Gregory of Nyssa
 The Call to Holiness
"By reason of their special vocation it belongs to the laity to seek the
kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them
according to God's will. . . . It pertains to them in a special way so to
illuminate and order all temporal things with which they are closely
associated that these may always be effected and grow according to
Christ and may be to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer."
CCC 898
Lay people share in Christ's priesthood: ever more united with him, they
exhibit the grace of Baptism and Confirmation in all dimensions of their
personal, family, social, and ecclesial lives, and so fulfill the call to
holiness addressed to all the baptized. CCC 941
Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, "that is,
the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life." For lay
people, "this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and peculiar
efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the
world." CCC 905
 How to Achieve Holiness

Sacrament of Reconciliation
Not just for grave sin
Must be used often
Can be used with spiritual direction
Eucharist
Perfect nutrition for the soul
Spiritual Reading (or TV)
Scripture (must be read with the Catechism)
Lives of the Saints
EWTN
The Missal
 How to Achieve Holiness
Martyrdom
Soft martyrdom—stand up for Christ and His Church
Martyrdom to self—fast do penance
Extra credit—name the century of the greatest martyrdom
Evangelization
Not this

But this And this

 How to Achieve Holiness

“Preach the Gospel at all times and

when necessary use words.”

In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength
dealt out to them by Christ's gift, so that . . . doing the will of the
Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to
the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the
holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is
clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so
many saints. CCC 2014
 Obstacles to Holiness
The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is
also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid
when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the
Sign of the Cross. St. Anthony of the Desert

We are no longer able to hear God – There are too many frequencies
filling our ears. Pope Benedict XVI

Jesus needs neither books nor Doctors of Divinity in order to instruct

souls; He, the Doctor of Doctors, He teaches without noise of words.
St. Therese the Little Flower
 Overcoming Obstacles
Pray
Do penance
Know the Faith
Be fearless, but not obnoxious
Believe what you read
Preach what you believe
Live what you preach

"We belong to the

Church militant; and
She is militant because
on earth the powers of
darkness are ever
restless to encompass
Her destruction." -Pius
XII, AD 1953
Discussion Questions
 Sanctity is the Only Adventure
1. We are never more truly free than when
we are on the path to sanctity. The
pursuit of holiness is a venturing forth in
true freedom.
a) We live in a free country!
b) Do not confuse freedom and license.

2. What is the purpose of freedom?

a) To seek God.
b) How do we seek God?
 Helping us Strive for Holiness
1. Sacraments
a) Holy Communion
b) Confession

2. Spiritual Direction
a) Counsel us in the struggle

3. Spiritual Reading
a) Gospels
b) Lives of the Saints
 The Mystical Body of Christ
1. “As a body is one though it has
many parts, and all the parts of the
body, though many, are one body,
so also Christ.” (I Cor. 12:12)

2. Implies responsibility
a) Our actions affect the rest of the
Mystical Body.
b) If part of the body becomes ill,
the whole body becomes ill.
 Exercising our Apostolate
1. We must direct our activity toward the evangelization and
sanctification of all people.

2. What activities are available to us to convert others?

a) Live a Christian Life
b) Invite them to the Sacraments
c) Teach them about God
d) Pray for them
 Are we Christ’s Followers?
1. We must conform ourselves to Christ in word and deed.

2. We seek the will of God in all things.

3. We devote ourselves to God’s glory.

4. We seek to serve our neighbor.

5. We accept the crosses that inevitably come.