ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In this episode, I address the What & the Why of the Setting Apart Podcast; Whom it is for, and the genesis of which. From Scripture, we know that to be "holy" is to be "set-apart." The question then becomes: What does Holiness really mean? And how do we get there?

Taking a deep dive into the Biblical roots of Holiness, I kick off with 3 Bible verses, 3 paras from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), examine a couple of quotes from a couple of Saints, pick the wisdom of some church fathers along the way, and reflect on them.

This is a big topic. But one that is fundamentally important for us to get a good foundation on ... as it relates to our Dignity & Identity as Children of God.

The main takeaways for this episode:

• Jesus is "the Way; Truth and the Life." (Jn 14:6)

• To be Jesus' disciples, more than just believing, we need to make the commitment & sacrifices for the transformation of our heart.

• All Christians are Universally called to be “holy” or to be “set-apart” or to be “saints.”

• Holy Scripture or the Word of God has revealed to us our Dignity and Identity … insofar as All Christians have been made “Set apart” to be “in Christ” through Baptism .. to be part of the mystical body of Christ. As such, we are called to live a life that is “worthy of the Gospel of Christ.” (Phil 1:27)

• We may not be perfect (Rom 3), but we can be perfected in love (1 Jn 4) -> The key is to transform our heart into a heart of love.

• To be Holy, is to LOVE: Love God & Love your Neighbour wholeheartedly - the 2 great commandments given by Jesus (Mt 22:37-40). And in the words of St Thomas Aquinas: “To Love is to Will the Good of the Other” – in which we choose the Good or the Benefit not for our self but for the other. Since we cannot choose any more good than Perfection, so to Love God is to love what God Loves – which is to will the good of the neighbour.

And there you have it, we've unpacked what it means to be Holy in this episode. To be Holy… if you break it all down … is simply to LOVE. Love God, Love your Neighbour, wholeheartedly. Looking ahead to Part 2 of the introduction, I explore how we can be "Perfected in Love;" and unpack the central theme of Baptism as it relates to how we are made set-part from above.

References made in this episode

Bible Verses ( in the order of citation)

• • Jn 14:6

  • Mt 14:24

  • Mt 7:13-14

  • Mt 22:14

  • Mt 13:9

  • Eph 1:4

  • 1 Cor 1:2

  • John 15:1-8

  • Eph 5:8

  • Mt 5:48

  • Romans 3:23

  • 1 John 4

  • Jn 8:29

  • Mt 6:6

  • Mt 5:48

  • Mt 22:37-40

  • John 13:35

  • Phil 1:27