THE HOLINESS CODE

 

The 19th chapter of Leviticus outlines the Jewish Holiness Code, the heart of their understanding of what living a righteous life means and the more important prescriptions of the Law following from the Mosaic Code of the Ten Commandments. A good Jew is expected to abide by them all insofar as they are relevant to his situation.

The existence of a holiness code early on in the lives of the Jewish people indicates a long tradition of recognizing the need to live a holy life. It is not enough to simply declare that “we are God’s People,” or “we are saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus” in the case of Christians. There is far more to a life of faith than what God has done, is doing and will do for us. This point is often the launching pad for the difference between Protestant and Catholic theology on the nature of salvation and how it is gained.

By the late Middle Ages, the Catholic Church’s theology and practice had become corrupted by its association with the ruling classes of Europe. It would be true to say that virtually anything and everything could be bought for a price if you knew the right people and had enough money. This is a generalization as there were still some who resisted such corruption but it was the prevalence of all sorts of corruption that gave the initial impetus to the reform-minded Luther. His campaign for reform of the Church was well-intentioned at the start; it just became somewhat derailed towards the middle and end when he met resistance from Church authorities to his proposed reforms and also became radicalized by this experience and some of his colleagues.

Protestant theology tends to find little or no place for good works due to its emphasis on faith as the means to salvation. They failed to take into account that good works are a part of faith, maybe not the justifying part, but certainly in the way faith is expressed within and beyond the wider community of the faithful. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

Reflection Question:

How serious am I about seeking to grow in holiness? Am I willing to do what is necessary to achieve holiness in my life?

 

Father in heaven, help me to see that the call of holiness is central to my life and that without making the effort to grow in holiness, grace will be lost to me.