I recently began to poke around the writings of Meister Eckhart, the 14^th century mystic and teacher who profoundly influenced my favorite theologian, poet and mystic, John O’Donohue. One of the first things to strike me was this citation:

People should not worry as much about what they do but rather about what they are. If they and their ways are good, then their deeds are radiant. If you are righteous, then what you do will also be righteous. We should not think that holiness is based on what we do but rather on what we are, for it is not our works which sanctify us but we who sanctify our works.

This seems to turn everything I have believed about righteousness upside down. Righteousness, the twin of holiness, in my mind, have always been unobtainable, an ultimate goal we seek through daily effort and prayer sought guidance from the Holy Spirit. We grow in righteousness by what we do, by changing our direction toward righteousness. This is still true, we are all works in progress, novices becoming more proficient at living the life intended for us. This is what we are taught about how to live a Christian life. Our journey begins with the first step that leads to him.

What Eckhart is asking, however, is for us consider who we are and to think of ourselves in that fashion. We are children of God who were created in his image and this grants us with the gift being drawn to him by nature. If we are the sons and daughters of God and if we are in his image and he is righteous, then we too are righteous. Of course we are not perfectly or completely righteous as is He but we have the facility to act in a righteous manner. We have the capacity to be holy.

Consider this. If we begin a race, at what point can we call ourselves a racer? If climbing a mountain, when can we claim to be a climber? The answer to both questions is we become a racer or climber when we prepare to race or climb. We make the decision to be a racer or climber and our actions validate us.

I recently had discussion with a man seeking to become a Benedictine Oblate. Circumstances will delay when he can officially begin his novitiate but I counseled him that he could gain all of the benefit and value of being an Oblate by calling himself a Benedictine, not by name but, rather by nature. I challenged him to learn what is expected of an Oblate and to begin the journey. The moment he declared his desire, he became Benedictine in all of the ways the matter. What will come later is what Meister Eckhart calls validation. He will become a novitiate and then an Oblate and he will then be able to call himself by those names but they will not change who he is but it will give what he has become a name and things which are named are known.

So it is for all of us who seek holiness. We are already holy or we would not have the capacity to act in a manner reflective of holiness. If we call ourselves holy and righteous, we will not feel hypocritical for claiming holiness in our actions so long as we are ever mindful of the source of all righteousness and all holiness. Such things could not spring out from us if God had not already planted so potential in our souls.

Thank you for creating us in your image that we may grow in holiness and righteousness as your servant children. Amen.