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Today is the Sunday of All Saints, and who thinks about how the main purpose of our life on this earth is to acquire holiness? Yes, we exist to become saints. The failure of this achievement is the greatest tragedy of human existence.
But how is holiness considered today? What is our stance before it? How do we view it? How do we live it? How can we find it and not lose it? How do we use it, perhaps even exploit it?
Holiness does not eliminate the human personality. It does not violate human freedom and will, uniqueness and the sacredness of the human person. Holiness is not unmanned and the manufacturing of an identical statue. Many have a false perception of holiness.
The most fragrant books of the lives of saints give us numerous and beautiful examples from the West to the East, among women and men, young and old, educated and illiterate, married and unmarried, clergy and laity, closed and open types of personalities. Generally holiness, being divine and sacred, causes awe and respect, admiration and fascination, but we must say that sometimes myths and exaggerations and inauthenticity is sometimes interwoven.
A saint is considered completely detached from everything mundane. The source of holiness, self-holiness and self-goodness, is God. By sharing in Him it is offered to us. The early Christians were called saints in order to be reminded of the purpose of their lives. Holiness today is considered remote, otherworldly, impossible. It is a gift to the elite aristocracy of the spirit. Holiness has been given a purely moralistic dimension that does not characterize the status of the substance of a Christian. Holiness is not a championship match, a supernatural feat, an awesome act of prowess, the acquisition of a winning record. Holiness is not an illuminated sign, a glowing halo, a spectacular display, a needed advertisement, the diffusion of applause. Rather, holiness loves to live in obscurity, ingloriousness, forgotten, silence, repentance and humility. Holiness is communion with All Holy God, not a human achievement. Holiness is true balance, authentic health, a meaningful relationship with God. It is the obedience to His command, that we become holy as God is holy. The will of God is our sanctification. By holiness is meant following Christ to Gethsemane and Golgotha. Holiness is not transmitted, not earned by merely reading books and having lengthy discussions in living rooms. It calls out that we must give blood, in order to receive the Spirit. We must persistently fight and be patient, to defeat the wild beast with many heads called pride. The saint overcomes selfishness, love for the flesh, ambition and love for money, with love for the divine, love for people, philanthropy, brotherly kindness, philoprogenitiveness, and the virtuous life. The saints, according to the late Elder Justin Popovich, are the centuries old authentication of the gospel, the extensions of Christ. They have proved by practice that the virtues of the gospel are feasible. Many pilgrims to Mount Athos today seek great saints in order to have their problems solved. In other words, we want the saints and Christ and the Church out of pure self-interest, to spend our lives undisturbed and well. This shows that there is a magical conception to holiness, the holy sacraments and the Church. This is how Orthodoxy becomes religionized. Elder Paisios would tell us that the saints would love Christ even if there was no paradise in the afterlife! True holiness, because unfortunately there is a pseudo-holiness, is not a powerful projector, a loud speaker, lights, clicking, decoys and promotion. It is hidden, whether it be on Athos or in the city or in the village. It thrives in secrecy, humility and the in goodness of the honorable, the loyal, enduring illness, rejection, failure, grief, criticism, irony, and so on. Holiness may be in the minority and the exception, but it exists. This is very important and a message of great hope.
Ouderling Moses die Athoniet oor die Heiliges
Vandag is die Sondag van Alle Heiliges, en wie dink daaroor dat die hoofdoel van ons lewe op hierdie aarde is om heiligheid te bekom? Ja, ons bestaan om heiliges te word. Om hierdie misluk in hierdie doelwit is die grootste tragedie van die menslike bestaan.
Maar hoe word heiligheid vandag beskou? Wat is ons standpunt daaroor? Hoe beskou ons dit? Hoe leef ons dit? Hoe kan ons dit vind en nie verloor nie? Hoe kan ons dit gebruik, miskien selfs benut?
Heiligheid skakel nie die menslike persoonlikheid uit nie. Dit skend nie menslike vryheid en wil, die uniekheid en die heiligheid van die menslike persoon nie. Heiligheid is nie ontmensliking en die vervaardiging van ‘n identiese standbeeld nie. Baie het ‘n valse persepsie van heiligheid.
Die geurigste boeke oor die lewens van heiliges gee ons talle en pragtige voorbeelde van die Weste af tot die Ooste, van vroue en mans, jonk en oud, opgevoed en ongeletterd, getroud en ongetroud, geestelikes en leke, geslote en oop tipes persoonlikhede. Oor die algemeen veroorsaak heiligheid, omdat dit goddelik en heilig is, ontsag en respek, bewondering en fassinasie, maar ons moet sê dat mites en oordrywing en onegthede soms ook ingeweef word.
‘n Heilige word beskou as heeltemal los is van alles wat wêrelds is. Die bron van heiligheid, self-heiligheid en self-goedheid, Is God. Deur in Hom te deel, word dit aan ons aangebied. Die vroeë Christene is heiliges genoem om hulle te herinner aan die doel van hulle lewe.
Heiligheid word vandag as vêrgeleë, bonatuurlik en onmoontlik beskou. Dit is ‘n geskenk aan die bestes van die geestelike aristokrasie. Aan heiligheid is ‘n suiwer morele dimensie gegee wat nie die status van die wese van ‘n Christen kenmerk nie. Heiligheid is nie ‘n kampioenskapstoernooi, ‘n bonatuurlike prestasie, ‘n ontsaglike dapper daad, die verkryging van ‘n wenrekord nie. Heiligheid is nie ‘n verligte teken, ‘n gloeiende stralekrans, ‘n skouspelagtige vertoning, ‘n nodige advertensie, die verspreiding van applous nie.
Nee, heiligheid is lief daarvoor om in duisternis, verborge, vergete, stilte, in berou en nederigheid te lewe. Heiligheid is gemeenskap met die Alheilige God, nie ‘n menslike prestasie nie. Heiligheid is ware balans, ware gesondheid, ‘n betekenisvolle verhouding met God. Dit is die gehoorsaamheid aan sy bevel dat ons heilig moet word soos God heilig is. Die wil van God is ons heiligmaking. Heiligheid beteken omm Christus na Getsemane en Golgota te volg.
Heiligheid word nie oorgedra nie; dit word nie verdien deur bloot boeke te lees en lang besprekings in woonkamers te voer nie. Dit roep uit dat ons bloed moet gee om die Gees te ontvang. Ons moet aanhoudend veg en geduldig wees, as ons die wilde dier met baie koppe wat trots genoem word, wil verslaan.
Die heilige oorwin selfsug, liefde vir die vlees, ambisie en liefde vir geld, met liefde vir die goddelike, liefde vir mense, filantropie, broederlike goedhartigheid, liefde vir die geestelike kinders en die deugsame lewe.
Die heiliges, volgens die oorlede Ouderling Justin Popovich, is die eeue oue bevestiging van die evangelie, die verlengstukke van Christus. Hulle het in die praktyk bewys dat die deugde van die Evangelie haalbaar is.
Baie pelgrims na die berg Athos soek vandag groot heiliges om hulle probleme opgelos te kry. Met ander woorde, ons begeer die heiliges en Christus en die Kerk uit suiwer eiebelang, sodat ons ons lewens ongestoord en gesond kan lewe. Dit toon dat daar ‘n toweragtige begrip is van heiligheid, die heilige sakramente en die Kerk. Dit is hoe Ortodoksie in godsdiensywer omskep word. Ouderling Paisios het gesê dat die heiliges Christus sou liefhê selfs al was daar geen paradys in die hiernamaals nie!
Ware heiligheid, want ongelukkig is daar ook ‘n pseudo-heiligheid, is nie ‘n kragtige projektor, ‘n luidspreker, ligte, klanke, lokmiddels en promosie nie. Dit is verborge, of dit nou op Athos of in die stad of in ‘n dorpie is. Dit floreer in geheimhouding, nederigheid en die goedheid van die eerbare, die lojale, terwyl dit siekte verduur, en verwerping, mislukking, droefheid, kritiek, ironie, ensovoorts.
Heiligheid mag dalk die minderheid en die uitsondering wees, maar dit bestaan. Dit is baie belangrik en ‘n boodskap van groot hoop.