Wholly Holy: 19th Week of the Liturgical Year, August 7-13, 2011

Deuteronomy chs. 10, 31, 34; Joshua chs. 3, 24; Matthew, chs.17-19.

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We can all use the word “holy” correctly in a sentence. But what does it mean? Not in itself (various meanings), but to us? How much place does the sense of the “holy” have in my consciousness? How much difference might it make if it were more?

Sunday: The Eucharistic Prayer is prefaced by the acclamation, “Holy, holy, holy!” and celebrates how God’s holiness and ours is made visible 1. in an event (Calvary, made present in Eucharist); 2. in the union (“communion/fellowship in the Holy Spirit”) made possible by that event and realized during Mass; and 3. in the perfection of that union at the “wedding banquet of the Lamb” (experienced in preview in the Rite of Communion). Eucharist thus celebrates the “source and summit” of Christian life.

Monday: The opening words of the Eucharistic Prayer “Lord, Father, you are holy indeed,” give us reason to keep our Covenant with God who is to be loved with all our heart and soul because he is All. The All Holy, the “fountain of all holiness.”

Tuesday: When we “cross over” from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we are aware of crossing over from what could be (but isn’t) just a human prayer service into the mystery of the event, the sacrifice, that made us divine. At Baptism we “became Christ” by dying and rising in him. At Mass we offer ourselves with him and in him for the life of the world.

Wednesday: At the moment of the “Consecration” during the Eucharistic Prayer we are aware of the awesome holiness of the Church—all of us—whose united prayer God unfailingly answers by changing the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus.

Thursday: God uses visible signs—the Ark of the Covenant, Eucharist—so that “we may know” his holiness present among us.

Friday: We get to the heart of our religion when we remember we were saved by an event that was a personal act of love. And that Person was the All Holy God. To “celebrate” is to “single out for grateful remembrance.” That is Eucharist.

Saturday: To choose God we must choose him as All by surrendering all. We did this at Baptism by giving him our body. We died in him and rose to live ONLY as his risen body on earth. We offer ourselves again: through him, with him, in him, at every Mass.

Mass puts us in the presence of the Holy. If we really keep aware of this at Mass (body language, silence during the celebration, reverence of heart) it will help us keep a sense of holiness of God—in us and around us—all week. Especially if we remind ourselves.