Potty training, lost homework pages, tantrums over a lego house destroyed, and fights over what movie to watch. In a house where I have to lock myself in the bedroom to take a phone call and the wash machine is always humming, one could wonder what could possibly be "holy" about any of this? All of this, and more, can be viewed as "holy" depending on what definition you are operating from.
I can't help but go back to my CCD days in the Roman Catholic church where what we learned about holiness was neatly presented to us in the lives of the saints, priests, and nuns, and what the pope had to say about who was deemed "holy" and who would not make the ranks of this most sought after state of being. We used to read books about the lives of the saints, and it was fascinating. A variety of people who were considered to be very devoted to God in serving the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized. My children are really into reading about the saints and my daughter, Clare, read about St. Clare, and in this particular book, she found that St. Clare was indeed, the patron saint of television. How appropriate for my girl who loves to watch television. "Well, if a saint can watch television, it must be good for something, mom."
My idea of holiness has always been connected to people who were honored because they were willing to sacrifice, suffer, serve, and give their entire lives in devotion to God. Holy people were always someone to be admired, and I never really felt that it was something I, a regular,seemingly unimportant human being, could reasonably aspire to that level of holiness. Holiness was always connected to celibacy, poverty, and obedience. And if that definition of holiness were to hold true, I've already failed on all levels. In this line of thinking, failing isn't holy. Perfection is. The definition that I absorbed for many years was that being "holy" was being "perfect" in all ways. That, my friends, is a lot of pressure. Mothers, by this definition, were definitely down on the bottom rung of the ladder of holiness, with the belief that sex isn't holy at all, especially with the example of the Virgin Mary to live up to.
As we grow and mature spiritually, our definition of "holiness" is stretched, redefined, and renewed. In reflecting on the life of Jesus, we begin to realize, by his teaching and example, holiness isn't at all a level of perfection to be achieved. As a matter of fact, it is quite the opposite. Holiness is an acceptance of our imperfections and a willingness to learn from them, work on them, and commit ourselves to spiritual progress. Holiness is wholeness. Wholeness meaning, health in body, mind, and spirit. It is a commitment to prayer, aligning our thoughts with the thoughts of God, and using our physical being to love, to heal, and to serve. Holiness is wholeheartedness. Rather than seeing holiness as something to achieve, and once we've achieved it, we're always "there". We've "arrived" and now I want have to work at this anymore, holiness is being aware and conscious of the present moment. It is living mindfully in the eternal now. You allow your whole heart to feel, taste, and see the goodness in all that God has blessed you with right here, right now.
Holiness is happiness. When we feel loved, when we are healed of any ailment spiritually, physically, or mentally, when we are living out our true purpose, and we are of service in that mission, we are happy. When we feel forgiven and we freely forgive, we are happy again. When we can feel that everything that happens in a day is for us, and not against us, we can be happy. When we truly feel joyful that we are enough for God with all of our quirks and imperfections, then we are happy. Everyday, humans want to feel happy, and are always in motion toward happiness. As humans, our natural state is happiness. The thoughts that we think cause our feelings, and so to live in wholeness and wholeheartedness, is to live in the feeling of happiness. To live in wholeness and wholeheartedness means that we must always be aware of what we are thinking and telling ourselves about our existence, so that we are living in our natural state of happiness. Prayer leads to this kind of holiness. Becoming aware of our thoughts toward ourselves and toward others leads to this kind of holiness. Forgiveness of self and others leads to this kind of holiness. Exercise, enough sleep, rest and relaxation leads to this kind of holiness. Seeing the world through abundance leads to this kind of holiness. Relieving our need for fear, worry, and negativity leads to holiness.
So when it comes to creating a "holy family", whether it is our biological families, our church family, or our work family, or our "friendship families", we must believe that we are a holy creation. Because God created us, we are holy. We don't have to achieve it, or prove it, or toil for it. God dwells in us, and that in itself is a holy belief. Praying together, and for one another, creates wholeness, wholeheartedness, and happiness in a family. Helping our family members grow and reflect on their lives through counseling when needed creates and grows a holy family. Playing together and taking time to have fun with each other grows a holy family. Guarding your calendars so no one is overscheduled creates a holy family. Making an effort to eat dinner together on a more regular basis ensures the establishment of a holy family. Smiling, reading to your children, hugging, talking, and celebrating each other's achievements builds the foundation of a holy family. Going to church together and sharing what you heard there, and what it makes you feel, embeds holiness in a family's hearts. Living a balanced life definitely grows holiness. Exercise, physicals, and conscious eating is all a part of developing and living a holy life. Taking care of the resources you have, recycling, and reusing whenever possible is all a part of reverence and having dominion over what God has blessed us with, and builds up holiness. The list can go on and on. Acts of holiness are anything that we put love and care into. Holiness begins with the creation of love in our own homes and flows out to the rest of the holy world.
Everyone is holy. Every thing is holy. Nothing is separate from God, and therefore, is holy. There is nothing secular about our world. God is eternally present, available, and very much a part of everything and everyone. A lack of holiness is experienced in sickness, suffering, lack, fear, judgment, poverty, depression, and prejudice only because we have forgotten that our minds are holy, one with God, and God is always thinking and creating holiness through us. We are a blessing to the world because we are holy, and it is our holiness that blesses the world. Lent is the perfect time to realign our minds with God's mind and shift our thinking toward wholeheartedness, wholeness, and happiness, which is what living in holy resurrection is all about.
Next Week: Our Bodies as the Temple of God
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