To be holy is to love. To love is to keep His commandments.

by Fr. John Dresko

The Sunday following the Feast of Pentecost is given over to the memory of all the Saints who have shone forth in the life of the Body of Christ. The Church does this because the celebration of the coming of the Spirit is seen at its brightest in these men and women. The presence of the Spirit of God is seen clearly in their lives and works. The Saints, however, are oftentimes seen by those of us making our way through this earthly life today as "far away" examples, with lives beyond our attainment.

But this is not true. In fact, sanctity is not a option for a Christian. Jesus says in today's gospel reading (Mt. 10:32-33, 37-38; 19:27-30) that anyone "who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." We do not have a choice in the matter. If we want to be "found worthy," we must take up our crosses and follow Him. This cross is our life ­ a life given by God and filled with His Holy Spirit, received by each and everyone of us when we were anointed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit in our Chrismation.

The Holy Spirit works in each of us so that we may attain salvation so that we may become holy. Jesus Himself says in the Sermon on the Mount that "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:48) This holiness is manifested in the way we live our lives. St. Paul says it this way:

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as a sin offering, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God....it is the Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God..." (Romans 8:3-8, 16)

When we walk in the Spirit of God, we are His children. If we are His children, we must become like Him. How do we do this? By showing forth His love. Love, in fact, is the only way we prove we are His children. In the gospel today, Jesus says that anyone who "loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of Me." His apostles tell Him that "we have left all" to follow Him. True love is only possible when it is Him we love. We have to leave everything and everyone to love Him. But that "everyone" and "everything" is not just persons and possessions ­ it is also ego and self-glory, it is the desire to have our own way in this world while claiming to love Him. When we truly leave all that, then and only then we can love everything and everyone. Love is the product of holiness.

Jesus says to His disciples: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) St. Paul says, "Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law." (Rom. 13:8) St. John the Evangelist says, "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)

So we have the Spirit of God, and we show this by loving. We reflect God Himself by loving. We are holy by having and showing love. How is love shown and reflected in our own life? Jesus also says the following: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11-16)

The Lord shows us a formula whereby we can test our love, see if it is really love and really present. If we love God, we abide in Him and keep His commandments. If we keep His commandments, we will have His joy fulfilled in us. His love leads to obedience and obedience leads to joy. A simple way of stating that is that the Spirit of God produces love in us and love produces fruitful action.

We celebrate the Spirit of God present in our lives. In that Spirit, we strive to answer the call to holiness ­ to be saints. If saints, to love. If loving, to keep his commandments and produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our life and the life of the Church.

Do we really try to answer the call to holiness? Isn't it very often just the opposite? We are not holy. We do not love. We do not keep His commandments or produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We often do exactly the opposite, becoming the source of division, anger and hatred in the life of our Church and parish.

St. Paul exhorts the Romans: "I appeal to you, brethren, to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by fair and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded." (Romans 16:17-18)

If we wish to be truly holy, truly loving, truly fulfilling the commandments of our Savior, we must strive to live by the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians:

"Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." (Ephesians 4:25-5:1)

(Adapted from a sermon given on All Saints Sunday, June 14, 1998.)