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The Holy and Profane: Understanding God's Holiness

Explore the concept of holiness and its significance in God's character through biblical passages and cultural contexts. Discover the awe-inspiring nature of God's holiness and its impact on humanity.

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The Holy and Profane: Understanding God's Holiness

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  1. “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” [Lev 11:44,45; 19:2] Office of Mission: Formation Day for Parish Leaders 9 May 2019 St. Joseph, Lino Lakes Fr. Jan Michael Joncas

  2. Eucharistic Prayers: “Vere sanctus” • You are indeed Holy, O Lord, the fount of all holiness (EP II) • You are indeed Holy O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise, for through your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power and the working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy, and you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting, a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name. (EP III) • You are indeed Holy, O Lord, and from the world’s beginning are ceaselessly at work, so that the human race may become holy, just as you yourself are holy. (EP for Reconciliation I)

  3. You are indeed Holy and to be glorified, O God, who love the human race and who always walk with us on the journey of life. Blessed indeed is your Son, present in our midst when we are gathered by his love, and when, as once for the disciples, so now for us, he opens the Scriptures and breaks the bread. (EP for Various Needs I-IV)

  4. The Idea of the Holy • Hebrew: Qodesh = “division, separation” from the profane // tohar = “purity, cleanness” • Greek: Hagios = “belonging to cultic worship, gods” // hagnos = “clean, pure” • Latin: Rudolf Otto’s The Idea of the Holy (1917): the numinous = mysteriumtremendum et fascinans • Negatively: the sacred minus its moral and rational aspects • Positively: 1) inspiring awe (profound unease); 2) overpoweringness (generating a feeling of humility), 3) energy (experiencing an impression of immense vigor)

  5. Israel’s Culture Map 1 • HolyProfane • Hebrew root: qdš h[et]ll • “sacred” “common” • marked state normal state • graded degrees non-graded • powerful/deadly common • restricted/contagious neutral • to sanctify (by ritual) <-------- • to profane (by activity or inadvertantly) -- • categorizes space, time, persons, objects, offerings

  6. Israel’s Culture Map 2 • Clean = in placeUnclean = out bounds • Hebrew root: t[et]hr t[et]m’ • normal state marked state • non-graded graded degrees • ordinary powerful • neutral contagious • to cleanse (by ritual) ----- • to pollute (by activity or inadventantly)  • categorizes space, persons, objects, foods

  7. Consequences of this Culture Map • To be clean and profane was normal, the typical state of ordinary life • To be holy or unclean was extraordinary and contagious • Holy and clean = OK • Profane and clean = OK • Profane and unclean = OK • Holy and unclean = nuclear reaction

  8. God’s Holiness • God’s holiness is his defining characteristic, it is not an aspect of who he is or what he does, it is the essence of who he is. • The holiness of God is a term used in the Bible to describe both God’s goodness and God’s power (cf. Exodus 15:11: “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”). • Holiness is completely unique and utterly all-powerful, radiating out from God like an energy (sun, nuclear reactor). • God’s holiness is so overwhelming that it can actually be dangerous to approach without the proper safeguards.

  9. God’s Holiness in the Story of the Burning Bush • Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to ‘Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within the bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on first it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought: “I will go over and see this strange sight – why the bush does not burn up.”

  10. 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” • And Moses said: “Here I am.” • 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where are standing is holy.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”

  11. God’s Holiness in the Call Vision of Isaiah • Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: ”Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and the thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. • 5 ”Woe to me, “ I cried. “I am ruined. For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD almighty.”

  12. 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said: “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” • 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” • And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”

  13. God’s Holiness in the Heavenly Worship of Revelation • Revelation 4:2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. 4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6 Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

  14. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: • “‘Holy, holy, holy • is the Lord God Almighty,’ • who was, and is, and is to come.”

  15. Questions for Reflection • When have I experienced / do I experience God’s holiness? • When / how does my parish/community experience God’s holiness? • When / how do we invite people to experience God’s holiness?

  16. Christ’s Holiness in the Calming of the Storm • Mark 4:35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ”Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the board, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another: “Who is this, then, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

  17. Christ’s Holiness in the Miraculous Catch of Fish • Luke 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ”Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

  18. Christ’s Holiness in the Transfiguration • Mark 9:2 After six days, Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. • 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) • 7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” • 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

  19. Questions for Reflection • When have I experienced the holiness of Christ (e.g., prayer, sacramental worship, reading and pondering Scripture, seeking and receiving forgiveness, alleviating suffering, working for justice, etc.)? • How does our parish/community witness to the God who is simultaneously Wholly Other and Utterly Incarnate in Jesus? • How do we accompany people as they experience Christ’s holiness at different stages in their lives?

  20. The Holiness of the Holy Spirit • Jewish Bible (Isaiah 11:2) • Ruah YHWH = Spirit of YHWH • Ruahhakkah u-binah = Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding • Ruahesah u-geburah = Spirit of Counsel and Might • Ruahdaat we-yirat YHWH = Spirit of Knowledge and of Fear of YHWH

  21. Christian Scriptures • Pneumatoshagiou = Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18) • Pneumatitheou = Spirit of God (Matthew 12:28) • Ho parakletos = The Comforter, the Advocate, the Paraclete (John 14:26, John 16:7) • Pneuma tesaletheias = the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) • Pneuma Christou = Spirit of Christ (1 Peter)

  22. Questions for Reflection • How do I discern the presence / guidance of the Holy Spirit in my life? • How do we discern the presence / guidance of the Holy Spirit in our parish community / local Church?

  23. Life-Impacts of God’s Holiness • Holiness provides comfort. Evil is not in control; injustice does not rule; corruption is not king; Satan will not have victory. God is and will always be worthy of trust because GOD IS HOLY. • Holiness induces rebuke. It is only in the face of the holiness of God that we fully realize that sin is more than a list of bad behaviors and more than breaking a set of abstract rules; it is a disastrous condition of the heart that causes us to willingly and repeatedly rebel against the authority of God and do what we were never intended to do. • Holiness defines calling. To say that we are holy means that we have been set apart by God’s grace for God’s purpose. Our allegiance is not longer to the kingdom of our success and happiness, but to the progress of God’s reign of glory and grace.

  24. The Holiness of the Church • Ephesians 5:25-27: Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. • 1 Peter 1:14-16: As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior, because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” • 1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (ethnos hagion), a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the marvels of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light

  25. Questions for Reflection • In what ways is the Church to be distinct from the world and in what ways is it to leaven the world? • In what ways is the Church’s worship to be distinct from the world and in what ways is it to “baptize” the world? • In what ways is the Church’s message to be distinct from the world’s message (the reality of sin and judgment cuts across the secular narrative of progress, while the hope of redemption and free grace through Christ’s work offers hope in the face of despair) and in what ways is it to identify and confirm Gospel values at work in the world? • In what ways is the Church to display a distinct unity vs. the cultural, political, racial, socioeconomic, and class fragmentation of the world?

  26. Reginald Heber: “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” // John Bacchus Dykes: NICAEATony Alonso: “Revival” = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YayiUXcmVCY • [ALL] Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,God in three persons, blessed Trinity! • [WOMEN] Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,God everlasting through eternity.

  27. [MEN] Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see;only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,perfect in power, in love, and purity. • [ALL] Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty,God in three persons, blessed Trinity! 

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