' ' Holiness: Called and Empowered

A Common Thread

through today’s readings

Today's readings look at three people who each had a profound experience of the presence of God

and each immediately became aware of their shortcomings.

Isaiah ‘I am a man of unclean lips, among a people of unclean lips’

Paul ‘… I am unworthy to be called an apostle’

Peter ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’

I’m willing to bet that everyone here has had an experience like it.

Maybe less overwhelming but leading to a similar self-assessment.

Modern psychology calls it by different names (eg, ‘Imposter Syndrome’)

but clearly sees it as something very common among humans:

At some point, everyone feels inadequate: Not attentive enough to our relationships: spouses, siblings, friends; Incompetent for the task at hand, ‘… I’m in over my head’; Even, unworthy of our vocation, ‘How can I possibly be good (holy) enough?’

Modern psychology even has various treatments to help people cope with these feelings.

A 'Holiness’ Response

Isaiah, Paul and Peter each also received from God what they would need to do the impossible (or just the impossibly difficult).

Isaiah: ‘… “See,” he said, “now that this has touched your lips, your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”’

and later (after God had revealed the difficulties Isaiah would face said to him:

‘The Lord will give you bread in adversity and water in affliction. No longer will your Teacher hide himself, but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher, And your ears shall hear a word behind you: “This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or the left.’ — Isaiah 30:20-21

Paul knew how God supported his work:

‘By the grace of God, I am what I am and his grace to me has not been ineffective.’

Peter:

… Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”’

And to Us God Says …

At our Baptism [paraphrase]

Ephphatha

I open your ears to receive my word and your mouths to proclaim my praise [to the nations].

With the oil of Chrism, I anoint you priest, prophet and king

Priest: to pray and offer sacrifice for one another;

Prophet: to announce, in word and action, the goodness of God and the salvation Christ gained for us.

King: to be leaders in the world; not by coercion but by example.

By ourselves we are inadequate; not good enough; in over our heads

but God says

Be not afraid, I go before you always; look, I am with you to the end of the earth.

I’m sure that the Nagasaki Martyrs

The Nagasaki Martyrs

The (17) Jesuit and Franciscan missionaries were arrested, mutilated, and on 5 February 1597 crucified at Nagasaki. They included five European Franciscan missionaries, one Mexican Franciscan missionary, three Japanese Jesuits and seventeen Japanese laymen including three young boys.