I WANT TO BE HOLY Let's just say we've opened up our hearts, even just a little crack, to the Awesome Love of God. Let's imagine we've given Him the OK to come on in, pull up a chair, and look at us, face to Face. We've broken through the barrier our culture has built up around us that says holiness is: 1. boring 2. unrealistic 3. overly idealistic 4. ridiculously naive 5. and/or mostly for nice people who aren't offensive We've broken through the lies and discovered that holy means wholly.... it means fully human. Let's imagine we've tasted, swallowed and fully digested that blindingly beautiful phrase of St. Irenaeus from way back before "self-help" that says "the glory of God is man fully alive." The question then would be, practically... How do we remain in Him? How do we live this HOLINESS? Because holiness is not a one time zap of grace, but a lifetime of saying YES. I say number one, we realize that holiness does NOT mean first doing something for God, like belting out rosaries or saying grace at meals or fasting every other day. We must know that holiness is first and foremost a "let it be done unto me." It's a receiving; it's an open heart more than a talking mouth. Remember St. John's words; "the love of God resides in this, not that we have loved Him, but that He first loved us..." Ours is the response of the Bride to the gift of this Heavenly Bridegroom. Then what next? I say we make a daily practice of R-U-S-H ing into holiness! That means... Resting the body and soul Unpacking the mind and heart Speaking with the whole of our being (and praying to, through and with the) Holy Spirit ∙ REST your senses. Close your eyes! Slow down! Be attentive to your breathing ∙ UNPACK your heart, lay it on the altar. Read the book of your life with God. Read the Book of His Life in the Gospels. Say everything and anything to this Divine Lover, and don't worry about polishing it up so it looks pretty! Like Billy Joel says, He "wants you just the way you are." (Then of course He will lift us up to where we belong... where eagles fly... on a mountain high...) ∙ SPEAK to the Rock of the Church’s Liturgy and water will flow (like the story of Moses in Exodus 17). Pray the Liturgy of the Hours, try and make it to Daily Mass, whisper the quiet prayers of the Rosary, celebrate the Church's Feast Days. And not from the mouth as much as from the heart. Cor ad cor loquitor! ∙ and remember to stay open to the HOLY SPIRIT! Remember that He prays in, with and for us!