Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1518662
18 Sanc tif ication S t. Francis of Assisi, the wise mystic friar and founder of the Franciscans, sums up the act of sanctification perfectly as, "Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society." In order to lead others into a relationship with Christ, we must first have a relationship with him our- selves. As such, it only makes senses that following after Christ necessitates sanctification, because Christ was sanctification perfected, and it is the first task of a Chris- tian to imitate Christ. We do this by heeding his call to "observe all I have commanded you." Once more we return to the idea of " being a good person." We can give food and money to the homeless, serve at soup kitchens, volunteer at the local hospital or do any number of service-oriented tasks and feel good about ourselves knowing that we gave of our time, talent or treasure to help another person in need. These are good things to do, and God delights in these efforts. Indeed, Jesus himself said that he came "not to be served, but to serve" (Mk 10:45). However, the second part of that verse more accurately captures the mission of the Christian: Jesus says he also came to "give his life as a ransom for many." Now, we obviously cannot do what Jesus did on the Cross and bear the punishment for the sins of the world. But we can lay down our life for others and be sanctified in the process. You see, Jesus Christ didn't come to make a bunch of "good people." Jesus Christ came to make us holy. He came so that we might not be conformed to the world but be set apart from it. Just as societ y was confounded at the teachings and example of this Jesus of Nazareth, so, too, are we called to confound the world by the way we live as Christians. One key dimension of the mission of the Church is to sanctif y the world, and following the sage wisdom of St. Francis, we can only do this if we are first sanctified ourselves. We see examples of this in some of the great saints who did much more than simply help those in need, such as St. Teresa of Calcutta, who laid down her life to serve the sick and dying in the slums of Kolkata. However, sanctification is not just reserved for the saints; after all, how do you think they became saints in the first place? APR-MAY 2024 | DENVER CATHOLIC