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<\/a><\/p>\nThe latest document written by Pope Francis describes a century-old path walked by countless of faithful Christians before us: the path of holiness.\u00a0 He begins the Apostolic Exhortation quoting the Beatitudes which give the document its name, \u201cGaudete et Exultate \u2013 Rejoice and be glad.\u201d\u00a0 In them, he argues, you find what constitutes holiness.\u00a0 \u201cThe Beatitudes are like a Christian\u2019s identity card,\u201d he writes.\u00a0 These challenging and direct instructions from Jesus describe what it means to be a faithful Christian.<\/p>\n
In a world where many base their fidelity to Christ either on knowledge they have attained, or works they have performed, the Pope challenges all to recognize that salvation and holiness are gifts from God.\u00a0 Some wrongly believe that the more facts they know about the faith, and the better they can argue and win arguments about God, the closer they are to God.\u00a0 Pope Francis states that this attitude based on mere knowledge tries to tame the mystery, yet taming the mystery of God is impossible.\u00a0 Francis writes that \u201cthe Church has always been clear that a person\u2019s perfection is measured not by the information or knowledge they possess, but by the depth of their charity.\u201d\u00a0 Truly knowing God cannot be reduced to learning facts, but rather it involves opening oneself vulnerably so that God can do His work in the soul.<\/p>\n
Similarly, others think that the more they do, the closer they are to God.\u00a0 Certainly our faith calls us to action, but there is nothing you or I can do that will merit us salvation since salvation is a gift.\u00a0 God has loved us first, so every movement of God in the soul is initiated by Him, not me. Pope Francis points that some wrongly believe that justification is achieved by their own efforts, worshiping the human will and personal abilities.\u00a0 He believes that the result of this attitude is \u201ca self-centered and elitist complacency, bereft of true love\u2026 and finds expression in a variety of apparently unconnected ways of thinking and acting.\u201d\u00a0 At times excessive importance is given to certain rules, customs, or ways of acting, to the point that the faithful forget that God is greater than these things.<\/p>\n
The path of holiness set forth by the Beatitudes opens the soul to the active working of Christ who constantly renews all things.\u00a0 Among the many examples Pope Francis provides to better follow the Beatitudes, he speaks of reacting with meekness and humility toward others: \u201cregard the faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air of superiority, [so] we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless complaining.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also writes that growing in holiness requires sowing peace: \u201cthe world of gossip, inhabited by negative and destructive people, does not bring peace. Such people are really the enemies of peace\u2026 It is not easy to \u2018make\u2019 this evangelical peace, which excludes no one but embraces even those who are a bit odd, troublesome or difficult, demanding, different, beaten down by life or simply uninterested. It is hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holiness for Pope Francis requires a fervent relationship with God without forgetting that He will judge us based on how we lived our lives in relationship with others (Matthew 25).\u00a0 \u201cOur worship becomes pleasing to God when we devote ourselves to living generously, and allow God\u2019s gift, granted in prayer, to be shown in our concern for our brothers and sisters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRejoice and be glad,\u201d writes Saint Matthew in his Gospel, \u201cfor your reward will be great in heaven.\u201d\u00a0 Life in Christ brings joy and gladness achieved as a gift from God who never tires to draw to Himself each person he has created.\u00a0 This is ultimately not achieved with the intellect nor the will alone, but through a response to God\u2019s initial prompting of the soul.\u00a0 Holiness in itself is God\u2019s gift.<\/p>\n
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