Chapter One The Call To Holiness Solemnity Of Christ The

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.