Thursday, September 29, 2011

Reflection: On Goodness and Holiness

How do we recognize goodness, holiness? How do we know that God is present in our lives? These questions are just the tip of the ice berg. Many Christians ask each other these questions and others while drinking coffee or having salads at lunch. Recognizing God, seeing goodness, seeing holiness are all essential important parts of being Christian, of being Catholic. We each have unique ways of doing it, unique ways of interpreting events. In others goodness and holiness are quiet qualities, gentle qualities which are easy to overlook, easy to mistake for something else. Holiness is possibly the most difficult to see because we are all called to be holy, all asked to have a special type of compassion, mercy, and concern that never changes, that always displays itself with the same sense of fairness between all people. Holiness does not play favorites. Goodness is very close to holiness but goodness lacks the consistency. Goodness is sporadic. Goodness is closest to the human temperament. Goodness can be temporary. Both goodness and holiness are best when they are unconditional, with universal application.

Seeing God starts with recognizing goodness and holiness in others, ourselves.

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