psalm 24: what makes us holy? all saints day 2016

As we celebrate today All Saints Day the church reads to us psalm 24.  On the day when we ponder the questions what makes a saint, what makes a person holy, the church reads to us Psalm 24.  This is an appropriate psalm for Psalm 24 speaks to us about the sources of holiness.  In the three short stanzas that were read to us, each stanza is proposing to us for our reflection a source of holiness.  What makes us holy, what keeps us holy, what aids us to become holy?

The first stanza, "The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it."  TO be holy it is important first and foremost to acknowledge that everything I have is not really mine but the Lord's.  Everything belongs to God.  All that I have are gifts from God to be manage by me in order to do God's purpose.  We can be helped to become holy when we start with this mindset every single day of our lives as we wake up in the morning – everything that I have is God's gift, I should be filled with gratitude and I should use them for his purpose.

The second stanza, "Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place?  One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain."  The second source of holiness is integrity.  Integrity means to be undivided.  The intentions of my heart correspond to the actions of my hands, the faith I profess in church corresponds to my behavior outside the church, my love of God is put into practice in my love for others. This is the second source of holiness.  There is integrity in the person, there is no division between his intent and his action, for his heart and his hands are one.

Third stanza, "such is the race that seeks him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob."  This is the third source of holiness, there is always that desire, that effort to seek God in everything.  When you seek God only in church, you will not become holy – probably you will become a good friend of Fr. Boboy because he always sees you here, but that does not guarantee holiness.  There has to be a real effort to seek God in everything, in everything, in the office, in the home, in the market, in school, when your patience is tried, when your generosity is tested, when your faithfulness is tempted, when you are sad, when you are happy, when you are lonely and bored, when you are angry, when you seek revenge, in helplessness, when you find difficulty forgiving, before a person in need, – seek God – Lord what do you want me to do, is this what you want me to do?  Seek God in everything.  This is the third source of holiness.

Today we celebrate those who have become saints in heaven.  Many of us have still a long way to go.  The church gives us Psalm 24 today in order to guide us on the path to holiness.  Let us ask God's help for we cannot be holy on our own.