SHAPING THE IDEAL CHURCH

What does it mean to be holy? Each person answers that in light of her or his past. What style of holiness was taught us in our youth? How was holiness characterized?

I remember vividly how holiness was idealized and lived out in New York Catholicism a half-century ago. Catholics cherished a heroic ideal. The holy person pursued God. God's grace converted youths such as Thomas Merton, public figures such a Clare B.Luce, and former communists such as Whitaker Chamber. Many ordinary converts learned their catechism and were brought into the Catholic fold.

Cradle Catholics were fervently devoted to Mary, our Blessed Mother. Our Lady of Fatima promised the defeat of Communism and protection for America. Our Lady of Lourdes offered miraculous healing. Praying the family rosary promoted unity. Marian novenas brought favors because Mary would win God's favor for sinners.

Those who wanted to be holy prayed for the strength to face trial and tribulation in this vale of tears. After all, one might even be called to heroism like Dr.Tom Dooley or to martyrdom like dry-martyr missionaries imprisoned and tortured by the Reds. Saint Jude helped the hopeless, Saint Gerard Majella helped mothers, and Saint Maria Goretti helped sexual purity and abstinence. Confession was frequent and Mass was every Sunday.

In short, holiness was connected with devotions and prayers, sacraments and heroics. Holiness meant doing certain things: Catholic Action, lay apostolate, CYO sports, meatless Fridays, St. Vincent dePaul, and acts of charity.

How is the Church HOLY today? Denise Lardner Carmody writes: "Sanctity, holiness, is a matter of being. From holy being flow holy, saintly actions. The miracles of Jesus were signs of his status as the emissary of God, "the bringer of salvation." The ultimate expression of Jesus' holy being was his dying on the cross in fidelity to his mission (An Ideal Church: A Meditation, p21)."

Carmody bases her statement on an old adage: Action is the result of being, In other words, action manifests our identity. Deeds express being. Holiness depends on our being in communion with God. Consequently our actions are the result of graced friendship with God.

She continues: "We are not accustomed to thinking about what flows from our being united to Christ through faith. The most significant thing about any believer is the share in holy, deathless life that faith brings. This most significant thing does not work at odds with the individual traits that make each of us who we are. Closeness to God, intensity of sharing divine life, makes us more ourselves, not less. But we modern Westerners are so oriented to activity that often we fail to appreciate that grace changes what we are (p.22)." We say yes to the call of God and the initiates of the Spirit. We become contemporaries of God. We are drawn into the holiness of God.

We lead people to the appreciation that God cares for them. Holiness radiates. It draws people to God. It wins people for God. Holy people "have whittled away the egocentricity that keeps the rest of us from being similarly transparent, integral, real....Holiness is less a matter of exceptional deeds than of doing well the ordinary tasks that our responsibilities entail(p.23-4)."