Gates of Holiness

Psalm 118 says Open to me the Gates of Holiness, and I will enter and give thanks.


The New American Bible uses the word victory in place of holiness, as though one were synonymous with the other. And perhaps they are; if you are holy or have entered into the place of holiness, then you have gained victory in life.

But what is holiness? A feeling of awe, where you are moved beyond the senses to the realization of an intangible world? Perhaps. But that could be something you ate too.

Holiness is what it implies, a wholeness of self, soul and body, mind and heart. If you enter a place of wholeness, then you enter a place where you are safe enough to face your fears, both those that are rational and irrational. You are in a place where you can speak the truth in love, and where that truth sets you free. You are in possession of a treasure for which you are willing to lose everything else. A place of wholeness is where you see in the mirror your real, authentic self, not somebody else's image or expectation. A place of wholeness invites you to be vulnerable, where getting hurt is not as bad as being dishonest, which always, and I repeat, always hurts others. Where bearing witness to the light is noble and honorable, and standing tall in your own weakness something to admire, as weakness is part and parcel of our human nature.

Enter into the gates that lead to wholeness. There you will find Jesus.