September 18, 2024

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

September is a time for beginnings. Schools and colleges are beginning a new semester. Teachers and Professors are challenging a new class of students. I remember as a teacher, the first task in September was learning names and developing a learning community.

September is a busy month in every Catholic parish also. September means forming this school year’s religious education programs, forming new groups for the sacramental programs and also developing one of my favorite programs, the RCIA group – that is those who will be investigating the Catholic Church, considering joining the Church.

Yet, there are some things that remain the same in the parish – that is finding Jesus and understanding Jesus’ message that he left for people of all time. Every day, every year, we must answer the same questions: why do we do Church activities? Why do we gather each Sunday as a parish for Mass? The answer is the same every time, and yet every week we must repeat it, hoping everyone keeps it in mind. That answer is that we are called to become holy, to learn to live well in holiness so that we will become saints.

The Second Vatican Council – that important moment in our history as a Church – often emphasized the call of holiness. I want to remind you today of one of the Council’s documents, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium). The first four chapters of that document reminds us of the foundation of the Church: first the Mystery of the Church, then the formation of the people of God, then the hierarchy of the Church, then the laity of the Church. The fathers of the Council then describe why the Church – so the fifth Chapter – is the call to Holiness.

The Church, the people of God, pray and work together to lead all of us to become God’s holy people. Our vocation is as the people of God to lead that glorious life, an experience for each one of us in becoming a saint. The Church leads us, guides us, challenges us to transform our lives and to unite ourselves with our God becoming a holy people. The Council writes: “Therefore, all in the Church, whether they belong to the hierarchy or cared by it, are called to holiness, according to the apostle, ‘For this is the Lord of God, your sanctification.”

Being holy is living in union with God, in relationship with our Savior, transforming ourselves and our lives becoming a holy person. Our Church leads us through so many magnificent gifts for each and all of us. We are called to find God’s presence in our life through the Church’s sacraments. These sacraments truly transform us. This is the Lord’s challenge for us: “You, therefore, must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48)

Our sacraments are truly gifts – gifts to us all on this road to holiness, especially through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Each Sunday, when we gather as Church to celebrate Mass, we are raised to a new and stronger holiness. We are allowed to develop a new and better relationship with God which develops the fullness of our holiness. I believe that each of us, Catholics, gathered around the altar of our Lord to participate at Mass are transformed. Each and every time, we are continually formed in becoming saints. Each time we leave Mass, we are ready to live in love – loving God with our entire being and loving our neighbor as ourselves. We must be holier people. We have sent a special time with Our Lord and God. We have received Holy Communion. We are ready to lie in the Lord’s holiness and make our world a better place.

There is a fellow who often comes to confession to me, and he always begins in the same way: “Well, Father, I am no saint.” I am certain that each time I say the same thing: “Well, you better get busy; this is why we are down here.”

You are called!