It’s not just for priests, nuns and brothers anymore. Especially for people in the pews, the “watershed” moment of all of Vatican II was its emphasis on the universal call to holiness. We can now take our place as fully recognized members of the Church and not as second-class citizens in a top heavy, “trickle down” institution. The Constitution on the Church (Ch. 5) states clearly: “The Church is holy…. We know this to be true because Christ loved the Church into holiness…. We are called to holiness by Christ himself…. So, it is clear that everyone, lay, religious, and ordained is called to be holy. (Emphasis mine). This changed everything because it basically affirmed that our real vocation is a call to be HOLY in all states of life.
The Council also recaptured the priority of Baptism. As Christians the most important thing that happens to us in our lives and the core of our identity is our Baptism. “In Baptism, every aspect of Christ’s being-life, death and resurrection- takes root in us, body and soul.” (On the Church, Ch. 1, #7). At our Baptism we all made a commitment and are called to live out that commitment. Differently, of course, but the agenda is the same: the call to holiness and union with God. Vatican II spoke of these as the two pillars of our spirituality.
Who are our models of holiness? We pray that we believe in the Communion of Saints. Well, the Communion of Saints is all the holy ones who show forth the holiness of God, the “people of God.” This title, “People of God,” growing out of the Mystery of God, is how the Council intended to define the Church. Our models are the saints – all the holy ones of God – and Mary.
The recovery of Baptism and the universal call to holiness brought the notion of becoming a saint to a new level. Cultural and historical circumstances influence our ways of being holy, but to be holy is the practical expression of God’s holiness, which leaves plenty of room for diversity. We, the People of God, are on a pilgrimage; we are not alone and are being cheered on by all the saints past and present. That is the beauty of the Communion of Saints. Being holy means saying “Yes!” to God, and the example par excellence is the “yes” proclaimed by Mary, “full of grace,” and number one among the disciples and saints. May God continue to grant us moments of grace.