The attainable goal of Holiness-Homily for the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME (IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY) 2Cor.5:14-21; Ps.103; Luke 2:41-51 The attainable goal of Holiness Having celebrated the Sacred Heart of Jesus yesterday, today we celebrate the Immaculate of Mary. To be sacred and to be immaculate both mean to be holy. So, the unity between Jesus and Mary was not just that of Mother and Son relationship but essentially one of holiness. Mary is united to Jesus because Mary took up the virtue of holiness. Today’s celebration therefore teaches us that what unites us with Jesus is not our portfolio, or number of years we’ve been in the Church or whatever, but the extent to which we struggle to be holy. In the first reading of today, St. Paul begged the Corinthians (you and I inclusive) to be reconciled to God. He invites us all to come into Christ so that we are made new, putting away the old. Being a new creation is essentially being holy. It is this holiness that made God to send his Son to die for our sak...