My dear brothers and sisters,
What do we think of when we hear the word 'holy'? Something pure or something uncontaminated with other elements?
Our understanding of this word will certainly affect our attitudes and our life as Christians. If we understand that being holy means living apart from others, we may no longer want ourselves to associate with other people. This is of course a misconception about being holy.
The Apostle Peter described God's nature as holy. Our God is the holy God. Because God is so holy, it is difficult for humans to reach God. However, this holy, unreachable God made himself accessible to humans through Jesus. Through Jesus, this inaccessible God became accessible even to sinful humans. It is also through Jesus that God sanctifies all sinful humans.
Brothers and sisters, those who have been sanctified by the Father through Christ are called to manifest holiness in their daily lives. Clearly, the Apostle Peter linked the disposition of holiness to the lives of believers. Rather than isolating themselves in their daily lives, believers are to manifest holiness in all aspects of their daily living in order to maintain a holy life.
In other words, we are not keeping our lives holy by separating ourselves from others. Instead, we maintain our holiness by practicing holiness in our encounters with our neighbors.
That is why the Apostle Peter said in verse 22, "You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." Just as a holy God manifests His holiness by loving humans, we are also invited to manifest and maintain that holiness by loving others, not distancing ourselves from others.
Therefore, let us never think of living away from others as becoming holy. Instead, let us make ourselves holy through our encounters with our brothers and sisters in everyday life. Amen.
Reflection on 1 Peter 1:13-25 by Fr. Risco Batbual, SVD
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