Be holy
Our God is holy, and He calls us to holiness; this is His will and our vocation. “Be holy, for I am Holy” (Leviticus 11:44).
Jesus confirmed this divine will, saying in the Gospel of Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” in accordance with the precept to love one’s enemy in order to be children of our Father in heaven. Holiness, according to Jesus, is rooted in love, as the great commandment declares: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your soul; you shall love your neighbour as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
God the Father has made us holy and pure in Jesus through the Holy Spirit when we received baptism and became members of the Church. “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
God’s grace is given to the baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the path of holiness and perfection. This grace is not reserved for any particular group, but is offered to all the baptized: women, men, single people, parents, children, lay people, ministers of the Church, religious, etc... Each person can journey toward holiness, in different ways and states of life.
Through our prayers and the sacraments of the Church, we are strengthened to persevere on the path of holiness. Among brothers and sisters, we experience love, patience, humility, conversion, and service, sometimes in joy and sometimes in hardship, as we continue our journey toward holiness.
“Since He who called you is holy, you also should be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Fr Georges Scholastique, ccn
Focus of the week
Parish 90th Anniversary celebration
Saturday 21 November
The celebration will begin with 5.30pm Vigil Mass.
We will then have a toast in the hall followed by an evening of musical entertainment.
Feel free to drop in anytime or stay for the whole evening.
The small hall will offer a calmer space.
Light refreshments will be available.
Notices of the Week
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