God’s holiness and liturgy
June 14, 2023 - Wednesday, 10th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalm 99:5-9
Three times in Psalm 99, we hear that the Lord is holy. The statement reminds me of the vision of the Prophet Isaiah, who saw “the Lord sitting upon a throne” and heard the seraphim calling to each other: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Is 6:1-3). We sing that song during the Eucharist while approaching the mystery of our faith.
The Hebrew word “holy” includes a range of meanings that indicate difference, separation, and uniqueness. When the biblical authors tell us that the Lord is holy, they mean that He is like no other. The holiness of God can be compared to the brightness of the sun that prevents the angels and us from looking directly at God. Both the seraphim and Moses covered their faces while standing in the presence of God. The holiness of God can also be compared to nuclear energy that evokes fear. Isaiah was so terrified seeing the Lord that he thought he was about to die. A similar experience is narrated in the book of Revelation, where Saint John witnessing the holiness of the risen Christ “fell at his feet as though dead” (Rev 1:17).
And yet, the Holy One wants to communicate with us and adopts the modes of communication to our capabilities. In the Old Testament, the people could only hear God speaking to them. He also inspired certain people to communicate his words to the entire people of God. In the New Testament, we reach another level of communication. The Holy One made himself visible in Jesus Christ. Saint Paul uses the metaphor of icon to describe this new mode of communication. Jesus Christ is the icon of the invisible God (see Col 1:15) and whoever sees him sees the Father (see John 14:9).
The ancient Israelites could communicate with God in the temple during the liturgical celebrations. We can still sense the power of that liturgy in the Book of Sirach. The author describes a liturgy on the Day of the Atonement in the Temple presided by the last high priest from the priestly line of Zadok, Simeon (see Sirach 50:1-21). We also approach the Holy Lord in our liturgical celebrations, particularly in the Eucharist. We come to worship the Lord, experience his mercy, and declare him our King, the One who alone is righteous and administers justice upon the earth.
Created in God’s image and likeness, we are called to holiness: “Be holy, because I am holy” (Lev 11:45). Perhaps, it may come as a surprise to many, but our sanctification takes place during the Church liturgy. It is by participating in the liturgy that we are being built “into a holy temple of the Lord”, “to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ”, and strengthened to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ (see SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM, 2).