Pinnacle of Greatness

People are by nature inclined to achieve greatness in life. Many assert that success in itself, whatever it means, is the greatest human achievement. But according to Blaise Pascal, the order of holiness is the highest level of greatness. "The fact that a holy person is strong or weak, rich or poor, highly intelligent or illiterate, does not add or subtract anything because that person’s greatness is on a different and almost infinitely superior plane." This is actually what the Church called the "universal call to holiness," which only leads us to true happiness. Whatever state of life we are in, you and I are called to be holy. The question is, how can we attain this? What are the invitations?

 

First, holiness invites us to desire it. Basically, God desires us, and so He wants what is best for us, which is our holiness. For holiness is synonymous with happiness. The ultimate goal of man after death is to see God face-to-face in heaven. Desiring holiness is not a flaw or pride. As St. Alphonsus put it, thinking that desiring holiness is a prideful motivation is a devilish illusion. Desiring what is good is not ambition, but rather devotion to God, the source of all goodness.

 

Second, holiness invites us to deny ourselves. One of our enemies is our body, or the self. The remedy for this is self-denial. Jesus said to His disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24). There is value in denying oneself; we can offer this imperfect denial of oneself to the perfect denial of Christ to Himself on the cross, which was redemptive and salvific.

 

Third, holiness invites us to be docile. Mary's life is the perfect example of docility. Her fiat to the will of God changes the state of the world and gives us Jesus, whom we desire. The Holy Spirit that overshadowed Mary is the same Spirit who will sanctify us and help us to be docile to the will of God in every circumstance of our lives. This is a wonderful gift that each of us received when we were baptized; all we have to do now is ignite and stir the spirit that is within us.

 

Thus, holiness calls us to desire it, deny oneself, and be docile to the will of God. Seek to live out a holy life in grateful response to God’s gift through the imitation of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. This can be done not with our own self but by the grace of God. God is only truly holy, but through Him, by grace, we can also share in His holiness, which is the pinnacle of greatness.