As I found parking one responded and told me they didn't find one. Being the trusting person I am waiting at the bar for my drink I did a quick google search on my phone pulling up the online Catechism myself looking for the definition I knew had to be there... Odd as it turned out my friend was right. No such entry was to be found. Annoyed I went and joined the rest of the group to have the nights discussion.
While I can't remember too many of the details from the conversation, I do remember there being some great conversation about the distinctions we make between holiness and sacredness, and the various feelings and experiences that go along with the two.
After the conversation at the pub, I was then on a mission. What is the Catholic Church's definition of holiness? With this question in mind and wanting a specific 'dictionary' definition I went to my office and began my research.
My go-to books for researching topics like this. (United States Catechism for Adults, Idiots Guide to the Catholic Catechism, YOUCAT, Baltimore Catechism, Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Documents of Vatican II).
The two books that proved to be the most useful here were the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults and the Documents of Vatican II.
Once again finding and baffled by the fact that the Catechism itself did not have a glossary entry for holiness, I was glad to see the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults did... That is I was glad until I read it. According to the text, holiness is, "A state of goodness in which a person--with help of God's grace, the action of the Holy Spirit, and a life of prayer--is freed from sin and evil. Such a person, when gifted with holiness, must still resist temptation, repent of sins that may be committed, and realize that remaining holy is a lifelong pilgrimage with many spiritual and moral challenges. The struggles evident in the lives of the saints are instructive when trying to explain and describe holiness." I don't love this definition, but find some value in the last lines of being stuck trying to describe holiness by means of the lives and actions of the saints/saintly people. Otherwise, I think this definition is fairly useless.
With this in mind, I continued searching. Unsatisfied with what I could find in the means of 'dictionary'/glossary definitions I optimistically turned to Vatican II.
While I am personally slightly obsessed with Vatican II I find that the Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium (Light of the nations), the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, in dedicating its 5th chapter to the concept of "The Call to Holiness" does an amazing job at offering insights into what holiness is.
Keeping in mind my obsession with the Vatican II documents, and an inability to be concise in anyway, I now feel obligated to provide you with the direct quotes from the document itself.
The second paragraph under section 40 states, "It is therefore quite clear that all Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love, and by this holiness a more human manner of life is fostered also in earthly society. In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ's gift, so that, following in his footsteps and conformed to his image, doing the will of God in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in history of the Church through the life of so many saints...
(Now on to section 41)
The forms and tasks of life are many but holiness is one--that sanctity which is cultivated by all who act under God's Spirit and, obeying the Father's voice and adoring God the Father in spirit and in truth, follow Christ, poor, humble and cross-bearing, that they may deserve to be partakers of his glory. Each one, however, according to his own gifts and duties must steadfastly advance along the way of a living faith, which arouses hope and work through love." (these excerpts were taken from the Flannery translation of Vatican II this chapter was specifically translated by Fr. Joseph M. de Torre).
In light of these passages, and relying on them specifically do I find myself feeling a slight confidence in saying I have the start to an understanding of what holiness might be.
Peace and Blessings Always
~M
