Reflections from the Heart – December 19, 2021

Fourth Sunday in Advent
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“The holy Spirit will come upon you… the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” Have you ever considered what makes a person or place or an object holy? Perhaps a holy card or a holy rosary, holy water, holy oils, Holy Communion or the Holy Land?  Well, God is the One who makes everything holy for he is the source of all holiness. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God makes everything that is receptive to his grace holy. Mary is holy because God created her immaculate and without sin. She is perfected in holiness through the power of the Holy Spirit that consumed her in the fire of his holy love and in the holy child who is consumed in totality by Mary’s heart, mind, body and soul. Mary is most holy, since in all reality, she is the first to receive both physically and spiritually, the fullness of Holy Communion. The eternal and redemptive gift of God’s holy love – the precious Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of God’s dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. God has called us to be holy as he our Lord and God is holy in order to be one with him for ever in an unbreakable bound of unity and peace. We need to desire holiness simply for the sake of a loving God with all our heart, mind, body and soul. We need to admit to ourselves that we are in constant need of the Father’s merciful love and redeeming grace in order to live out more fully the call to holiness and to walk the holy way of Jesus by living out his holy way of life. What gets in the way of your holiness? Is holiness possible for you? Do you desire it? Do you hope for it? Do you want to be holy? Can God make you holy? The Holy Spirit makes ordinary bread and wine holy by consecrating them into the Holy and Precious Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Just imagine what the Holy Spirit could do for you. “Lord God, king of heaven and earth, direct our minds and bodies throughout this day, and make us holy. Keep us faithful to your law in thought, word and deed.  Be our helper now and always, free us from sin, and bring us to salvation in that kingdom where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.” Amen (Liturgy of the Hours – Week III)