The Great Multidude
Sister Jordan Rose of the Sisters of Life talks about their work with women who are pregnant and in crisis. We look at Halloween and Fr Pius Collins, Premonstratensian Canon writes our reflection!
In Book 8 of his Confessions Our Holy Father Augustine asks this of himself, “[T]u non poteris quod isti, quod istae?” Can you not do what these men can, what these women can? This rhetorical question is a means by which Our Holy Father accuses himself of failure when looking at examples of so many men and women, “a multiplicity of good examples” that God had given him to emulate. He saw the holiness of others, but too often failed to live that holiness in his own life.
Sacred Scripture often speaks about holiness and sanctity as being set apart, “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself” (Ps 4:3), in fact the Greek word hagios can literally refer to things that are set apart for God. Things are holy if they belong exclusively to God and not to the World. In this sense the baptised have been set apart by Holy Baptism, wherein the Lord of All has claimed us and made us sons in the Son. We are claimed by Him in such a way that we are forever different, set apart, from the World around us. We are holy. Our Lord speaks of this in His High Priestly Prayer (John 17:1-26), we are hated by the World, because we are not of the World, yet, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:15).
The question of Our Holy Father Augustine would seem fit for us to ask ourselves as we contemplate the Solemnity of All Saints. Just as the year is closing and the darkness of winter sets in Holy Mother Church puts in front of our eyes the host of Heaven, the multitude of the saints in the Heavenly Kingdom who have fought the good fight in every age, every condition, and in every place. Can you not do what these do? Or asked in another way, Do you want to do what these did? The fact is that the pursuit of holiness is difficult, it requires time, effort, and, most of all: grace. To paraphrase G. K. Chesterton (What’s wrong with the World) holiness, “has not been tried and found wanting. It has been difficult; and left untried”. The pursuit of holiness is the work of a lifetime and we may never know success in this life; in fact it seems sure that if you think you are holy, then you certainly are not.
It is often said how difficult it is for men and women of today to be holy, much more difficult than in previous generations. Perhaps with the current Pandemic we might go further and say that it has hardly ever been harder to holy, it has hardly ever been harder to be a faithful Christian. However, let us also think about the benefits we have that those in previous ages could not have imagined. We have access to the greatest spiritual writings of all time at the click of a button, we have the spiritual wisdom of thousands of priests and religious within a few moments, we can raise our minds and hearts with the greatest Sacred Art that has ever been made. We have access within a few moments to a greater multiplicity of good examples than Our Holy Father Augustine could ever have imagined. Can you not do what these men can, what these women can?
If we are tempted to wallow at our plight, or flee from the difficulties of holiness, we must bring to our minds the power of God’s grace seen in the lives of saints. Men and women, boys and girls, who were not necessarily better than us in physicality or genes, but who depended on God wholly and entirely. If you want to be holy, if you want to do what these men do, and what these women do, then do not rely on your own power to do it. Rely, rather, on the power of the God who has chosen you, the God for whom and by whom you have been set apart. You are set apart not that you may prove yourself strong as men of this World are strong, or clever as men of this world are clever, but that love and mercy of God Almighty might be made known through you. Our Holy Father Augustine adds this, “Why do you stand in your own strength, and so standest not? Cast yourself upon Him; fear not, He will not withdraw that you should fall; cast yourself upon Him without fear, He will receive you, and heal you”.
Rev Pius Collins o.praem.
Fr Pius is a Premonstratensian canon of the Canonry of Our Lady of Sorrows and St Philip Benizi, Chelmsford. He is Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of Brentwood, chaplain to the Chelmsford Campus of Anglia Ruskin University, and Spiritual Director of Catholic Man UK. For more information visit: www.norbertines.org.uk
Loved into Life: Sr Jordan Rose speaks about the work of her community, The Sisters of Life, who are based in New York - who help pregnant women in crisis. She speaks lovingly of women needing help and charity and helps us to walk a little in their shoes.
What is Purgatory? An edifying read from Catholic Answers on something that will touch all of us!
Soul Cakes: Why not try this medieval English recipe for All Souls day? Find the recipe here. A great way to introduce real halloween to the kids, and with less E-numbers!
