Are You Holy?
By Kathleen Herbert
Many Catholics feel a personal connection to Pope John Paul II. Now with his Beatification Ceremony on May 1, this beloved world leader takes a major step toward sainthood. There is little doubt he was a holy man. But holiness is not an easy thing to measure on a personal note. Perhaps we can take stock of how we measure up. How do we know whether we’re growing in holiness?
In the latest issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, Father Basil Cole, O.P. has an article entitled “Formation of Novices and Seminarians: Nine Signs of Steady Growth.” Fr. Cole, a Dominican theologian and scholar, sets forth a series of indicators of spiritual growth by which those preparing for the priesthood can be evaluated. As it turns out, his list is a good tool for evaluating ourselves.
Following are Fr. Cole’s indicators in the form of nine questions, which suggest the key areas in which we should look at ourselves:
- Am I God-centered? This addresses the question of whether we think of ourselves as the center of the universe, in which case we are likely to be tense, negative and critical. We may discern progress in our path to holiness if we come more easily to see the good in others, to accept the dispositions of Providence cheerfully and to trust in God even in the midst of trials and temptations.
- Do I take joy in serving others? There may be times when either our normal duties (or interruptions in our routine) demand that we occupy ourselves with tasks we do not particularly enjoy which are for the benefit of others. We are growing in charity if we find such services easier to perform over time, especially with a sincere desire to be of benefit and if we gain the ability to remain recollected and prayerful even when doing something we do not naturally enjoy.
- Do I hate sin? As time goes on, if we are growing spiritually, we should be increasingly averse not only to great sins, but to lesser ones as well. We should be developing a progressively stronger resolve to avoid anything (including objectively innocent pursuits) which can be an obstacle to our union with God. And, of course, we should be actively seeking gifts of the Holy Spirit which are the opposite of the disposition to sin.
- Is my conscience delicate? This is closely related to the previous point and refers to the need to become ever more sensitive in discerning what is displeasing to God. In the beginning, for example, we may wish to avoid sins against the the seventh Commandment, but think nothing of cheating on a test or on our tax returns. In time, true growth demands that we more clearly perceive any sinful attitudes at work in us. Then we will become more watchful, and we’ll also more easily distinguish between not only degrees of sin, but the difference between temptation and sin.
- Am I humble? To use Fr. Basil’s own words, a sense of humility “means a submission to whatever God desires in the moment, even if it means being unknown or unrecognized.” Pride leads us to be calculating in all that we do in order to increase in stature before the world. But God wants our personal surrender to Himself and to those who, in each moment, represent His will.
- Am I faithful in prayer? If we prefer to lose ourselves in a constant whirl of activity and find that we are uncomfortable being alone with God in the silence of our hearts, we’ll go backwards. Spiritual growth is marked by a growing willingness to put ourselves in the presence of God, even if we suffer from dryness or distractions during our prayer time.
- Do my decisions reflect truth and prudence? As we grow spiritually, we should become more adept at knowing when to seek counsel, yet we should also be increasingly able to advise others or act quickly and decisively ourselves in ways that will still seem spiritually right, after the fact. We should grow in our capacity to size up each situation properly and to apply the right virtue and the right solution to each challenge.
- Is my heart divided? Simply put, this question asks whether we allow various interests and attachments to conflict with our thirst for God or whether we are gradually developing a more ordered appreciation of all good things in, through and for God, in proper relation to Him. Especially with things we particularly enjoy, we should be praying and working to see them in the light of Christ.
- Do I love the Church? To quote Fr. Cole, “the institutional Church is the unsullied Bride of Christ through which He gives Himself and His graces to a flawed people in need of enlightenment and purification from sin.” Each day, each moment, we should find ourselves loving the Church more wholeheartedly, despite her all-too-evident human flaws. If that is not happening, it’s a sure sign we’re backsliding.
To me, this seems like an excellent set of indicators for self-evaluation. Each item is a tool for spiritual growth in its own right. And in the end, progress in every area is essential if we are to maximize the potential God has given us for union with Him.
Let’s keep striving for holiness.
REFERENCE - http://www.hprweb.com/
John-brunton, and 
Jclem413 are discussing. 
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Kr_herbert, and 
podmandan 11:13 pm on May 1, 2011 Permalink |
I listened to the first episode of the Hi-Line Podcast with Fr. Cory while I was on the train and it’s a really good podcast- informative and inspiring. Thanks for the review, Sean.n