Ave Maria Meditations
The first reason that we have for tending to holiness is the Will of God: this is the Will of God, your sanctification (1 Th 4:3). God not only wills that we should be saved but that we should become saints! And why does God will this? Because He Himself is holy and said to “Be holy because I am holy.”(1Pet 1:16) God is holiness itself; we are His creatures and He wishes the creature to reflect His image. Still more He wills that, being His children, we should be perfect as He. Such is the precept of Jesus.
God finds His glory in our holiness. Never let us forget this truth: each degree of holiness to which we attain, each sacrifice we make in order to acquire it, each virtue which is to adorn our souls will be a glory for God eternally. It is then a lawful ambition for us to attend with all our strength to procure this glory which God derives from our holiness: we ought ardently to aspire to make a part of that blessed company in which God Himself takes His delight. This is truly a motive for us not to be contented with mediocre perfection, but continually do have it in view to respond as fully as possible to God’s desire: Be holy because I am holy. Another reason is that the higher our holiness the more we exalt the price of the blood of Jesus.
Blessed Columba Marmion
