Heroic sanctity

GENUINE sanctity, and not just the many forms of apparent

and fake holiness sadly proliferating in the world today, will always

require heroism. And it need not be lived and achieved in some

extraordinary situations. It can be attained even in the very ordinary

things of our daily life, but pursued in utmost heroism in following

God’s will and ways.

  

            In other words, it does not flaunt its performance and

achievements. In fact, it likes to pass unnoticed. It’s never showy,

although something in it will always attract the attention of those

who have faith. Of course, it may turn off those who are hostile to

the faith.

  

            This is the sanctity that comes from Christ who, in spite

of the many wonderful miracles he made, tried his best not to show off

because of them. Rather, he preferred that people get attracted to him

when he would already be on the cross, as testified by his words: “And

I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to

myself.” (Jn 12,32)

  

            Genuine sanctity can never sit well with complacency,

laziness, self-satisfaction, the attitude that we can say enough in

our self-giving and the like. It will always demand more and more from

us, and we correspond to that demand with utmost freedom and love,

never feeling pressured or coerced to do so.

  

            It is something done, developed and lived gratuitously,

reflecting the very gratuitousness of the love of God for us. The

dedication and devotion involved in sanctity is freely given, with no

strings attached, even if we know that God will richly reward such

self-giving.

  

            And in situations where there can be many legitimate

options, the one pursuing genuine sanctity will choose the worst

option, that is, the one that give the most disadvantage to him, again

without seeking any earthly reward.

  

            In that way, he gains more merit in the eyes of God since

he would be approximating the example of Christ who chose, of all the

options to redeem us, the one where he had to bear all our sins by

offering his life on the cross.

  

            This way of behaving echoes what Christ himself said:

“When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your

right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your

Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you...” (Mt

6,3-4)

  

            In other words, we have to do things out of love for God

only and for no other reason. We should avoid trying to fish for some

human or worldly glory. The intention should be entirely pure, without

any mixture of self-aggrandizement.

  

            In fact, on the contrary, we will seek and choose what

will keep us always humble, reflecting the example of Christ himself

and that of St. Paul, who said:

  

            “Whatever was an asset to me, I count as loss for the sake

of Christ. More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the

surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I

have lost all things...” (Phil 3,7-8)

  

            This is the heroism involved in the pursuit of genuine

sanctity. We need to train ourselves to develop this spirit and

attitude that should inspire our every thought, word and deed.

  

            That is why we can never exaggerate the need to humble

ourselves all the time, seeing to it that we have a firm grip on our

egos whose most subtle form of pride is to project an image of

sanctity that is not truly inspired by the love of God, but rather by

one’s self-love.

  

            We have to be most wary of this very likely possibility!