Be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct. Holiness is a call each and every baptized man and woman receives at the time of baptism. It is a call that should not be seen as exterior to, or something that is an addendum to one’s life as a baptized son or daughter of God. Neither should it be seen as a mere call among the many calls of the baptized. Holiness sums up the Christian call. It is THE call of a Christian. All the other supposed Christian “calls” are but aspects of the call to holiness.
In the popular parlance, holiness has unfortunately been seen to be synonymous with a particular demeanor. Those branded as holy are those who appear to exude a ‘prayerful’ or meditative appearance. However, such an understanding strips holiness of its meaning, lowering it to the level of performance (show). Holiness applies to the entire individual. It is concerned with how an individual lives his/her life. Holiness describes the being of an individual.
Our call to holiness is dependent on the being of God: “Be holy because I am holy,” says God (Leviticus 19:2). God is not holy because God goes around praying the Rosary. God is holy because that is who God is. Holiness is the very essence of God. God’s holiness is seen in God’s actions, actions that are always directed towards the other: “It is I who brought you out of Egypt…therefore be holy because I am holy (cf. Leviticus 11:44). We come from God, and we are created in the image and likeness of God. God commands us to be holy because God knows we can do it. Just like God, we too can always act on behalf of others.