The call to holiness

Thought for the parish pewslip
Sunday 25th May 2008, Trinity 1 – Year A (Readings from Epiphany 7)

Readings Leviticus 19: 1-2 & 9-18 1 Cor 3: 10-11 & 16-23 Matt 5: 38-48


In our reading from Leviticus, the Lord calls his people to be holy, for the Lord God himself is holy. The reading then lists behaviours which it associates with holiness; helping the poor, being honest, honouring God, not exploiting the weak, being just and avoiding hatred and revenge. This is summarised as, “Love your neighbour as yourself.”
In the reading from Corinthians, Paul reminds us that we, the church, are a holy temple where God’s Spirit dwells.
In our gospel reading Jesus calls us to love in a completely radical way, not resisting the evildoer, and loving even our enemies. He says we should do this in order to be like God the Father, who has a great love for each person, however good or evil that person might be. Jesus reiterates our Leviticus reading when he says, “Be perfect therefore, as you heavenly Father is perfect.”
When we think of people being holy there is a danger that we think of saints from long ago who immersed themselves in prayer and worship. Our readings today remind us that we today are called to holiness. Holiness is about our behaviour towards others. It’s about loving God and loving our neighbours.