From the communications team, we want to take advantage of today’s solemnity, the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, to deepen our understanding of our own consecration received in Baptism. As stated by the Second Vatican Council in Chapter V of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, through Baptism, we have all received a call to holiness—that is, to live the Christian vocation to the fullest, regardless of how it unfolds in our lives.
"The Church, whose mystery this sacred Council presents, we believe to be indefectibly holy, since Christ, the Son of God, whom we call ‘the only Holy One’ together with the Father and the Spirit, loved the Church as His spouse, giving Himself up for her to sanctify her, uniting her to Himself as His own body, and enriching her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. Therefore, all within the Church [...] are called to holiness, according to the words of the Apostle: ‘For this is the will of God, your sanctification.’” (Lumen Gentium 39)
Holiness is a gift of the Holy Spirit, received by all Christians in Baptism, making us, in Christ, children of the Father. With our cooperation, this gift can unfold in our lives until its fulfillment in the last times.
"The followers of Christ, called by God—not by virtue of their own merits but by His design and grace—have been justified in Christ our Lord. Through faith in Baptism, they have become children of God and partakers in the divine nature, and therefore, they are holy. It is thus fitting that they preserve and perfect this holiness in their lives with God’s help." (Lumen Gentium 40)
Holiness is therefore intrinsic to the Christian vocation, as Pope Francis reminds us. However, today, this reality is often overlooked, and we need to reclaim it. Why do you think this happens? What does holiness mean to you? Two main reasons can be identified as causes of this neglect: “An incorrect theological understanding, which is voluntaristic in nature,” and “the pressure of a social environment that, at least in the West, has significantly lowered ethical and moral standards.”[1] The very definitions of "saint" or "holiness" in modern language dictionaries support this claim, as they emphasize religious, heroic, voluntaristic, rare, or "pious" connotations that are prevalent today. How is "saint" defined in your native language?[2]
This was not the case for our foundress, Saint Marie Eugenie of Jesus. She wanted to live her vocation to holiness fully and proposed this path to the sisters and even to the students in her educational approach. Her beatification on February 9, 1975, and her subsequent canonization on June 3, 2007, show us that holiness was possible in her life and remains possible for those who feel called to follow Jesus through the means offered by the spirituality of the Assumption.
This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of her beatification. For this reason, we want to propose 50 elements of the Assumption charism that can help us in this journey. We hope this initiative will be dynamic, so we invite you to engage on social media by responding to our questions or suggesting topics that interest you and that you would like to explore further.
We need to believe in our own potential for holiness—not settling for mere goodness but trusting that, with the help of the Spirit, we can reach what is truly best.
"It is therefore highly relevant to teach that all people are called to holiness. We must speak of it insistently, but without turning holiness into a bargain or an ideal that can be achieved without effort." [3]
In a society like ours, which is in need of role models and life projects that give meaning to existence, saints are necessary examples. Holiness is a true path of humanization, radiating the very life that flows from God’s holiness—a holiness that our world deeply needs.
"The only path capable of leading us out of the current crisis of confidence in humanity is a rediscovery of holiness." [4]
Paraphrasing Karl Rahner, we dare to affirm that the Christian of tomorrow will either be a saint or will not be a Christian at all[5]—understanding holiness as a life project in which personal spiritual experiences form the foundational and originating dimension of all other aspects of existence[6].
What does holiness mean to you? Do you think it is necessary and possible? What teaching from Mother Marie Eugenie helps you live it?
Sister Mercedes Méndez Siliuto. Communication Coordinator. The text is written in Spanish, and the notes have also been translated by AI. If you identify any grammatical or spelling errors, we would appreciate it if you let us know.
[1] S. Arzubialde, “La vocación universal a la santidad”, Miscelánea Comillas 58 (2000), 27-84, 27-28.
[2] Baste leer, por ejemplo, la voz “Santo” en M. Moliner, Diccionario de uso del español. I-Z, Gredos, Madrid 1998, 1029-1031; y en RAE, Diccionario de la lengua española, Espasa-Calpe, Madrid 200122, 1375-1376.
[3] G. Thils, Santidad cristiana. Compendio de teología ascética, Sígueme, Salamanca 19685, 39.
[4] Hermano John de Taizé, La aventura de la santidad, fundamentos bíblicos y perspectivas actuales, PPC, Madrid 2000, 8.
[5] Cf. K. Rahner, “Espiritualidad antigua y actual”, Escritos de teología VII, Taurus, Madrid 1967, 13-35.
[6] “The mística dimension of the Christian life, is decided, the personal 'vivenciación' of the woman, corresponds to the necessity that the man tries to ejorcitar personally the woman, to have personally his experience so that the woman does not degenerate into routine, herencia cultural, loss of institutional or affirmation idea of a catalog more or less amply green. [...] This experience has its center in the conversion of the heart, from a central life into a mismo, to a central life in its green center that is God. This ‘vivenciación’ or personalización of the religion holds that it is cultivated, cuidada, vivida... already that permeates all the dimensions of life”. J. MARTÍN VELASCO, El fenómeno místico. Estudio comparado, Trotta, Madrid 1999, 456.