Suvremeni pogled na kršćansku svetost

In modern times, the understanding of holiness is often overshadowed by notions of achievement in various areas of human existence, and holiness could be understood as merely human commitment in the moral realm. Therefore, within the Christian tradition there are discussions of a call to holiness and not only to moral perfection, where holiness rests above all on the fact of God’s chosenness, to which the Christians respond by changing concrete lives. This article shall highlight several main characteristics of holiness as a model of Christian existence important to the Church in the third millennium. Firstly, a biblical-theological account of holiness shall be presented as a landmark of understanding holiness in the Church and in theology. Then, the fundamental dimension of holiness shall be introduced which is the principle of giftedness, opposed in a certain contrast to the widely present principle of achievement and perfection. The third part shall highlight the exemplary character of holiness, which has the ability to attract others, thus realizing in the life of the Church its main character of holiness that comes from God Himself. In their response to God, Christians find a model among the saints who have accepted various means of consecration within the Church and given God an answer to His call to holiness. Finally, the importance of a personal response to the call to holiness shall be indicated. The goal of Christian holiness is to unite with God, and on the way to this union, the effort of every individual who manifests himself primarily in accepting God’s gifts and His grace is also needed. Moral and sacred life is not primarily the adventure of spiritual giants of tried and tested moral behaviour and virtues, where these behaviours and virtues are only the result of their own endeavour and humanistic aspirations, but rather holiness is a response to God to his great love, which he expressed in the history of salvation and in the lives of people.U modernom vremenu shvaćanje svetosti često je zasjenjeno poimanjima postignuća na različitim područjima ljudske egzistencije, te bi svetost mogla biti shvaćena kao samo ljudsko zalaganje na moralnom području. Zato se unutar kršćanske tradicije govori o pozivu na svetost a ne samo na moralno savršenstvo, gdje svetost počiva prije svega na činjenici Božjeg izabranja, kojem kršćanin odgovara promjenom konkretnog života. U ovome radu istaknut će se nekoliko glavnih obilježja svetosti kao modela kršćanske egzistencije važnih za Crkvu u trećem tisućljeću. Najprije će se iznijeti biblijsko-teološki prikaz svetosti kao orijentir razumijevanja svetosti u Crkvi i u teologiji. Zatim će se prikazat temeljna dimenzija svetosti, a to je princip darovanosti koji je u određenoj suprotnosti prema sveprisutnom principu postignuća i savršenstava. U trećem dijelu će se istaknuti egzemplarni karakter svetosti koja ima sposobnost da privlači druge te na taj način u životu Crkve ostvaruje njezin glavni karakter svetosti koja dolazi od samoga Boga. Kršćani u svojem odgovoru Bogu pronalaze uzor među svecima koji su prihvatili razna sredstva posvećenja unutar Crkve te dali Bogu odgovor na njegov poziv na svetost. Na kraju će se naznačiti važnost osobnog odgovora na poziv na svetost. Cilj kršćanske svetosti jest sjedinjenje s Bogom, a na putu do tog sjedinjena potreban je i trud svakog pojedinca koji se ponajprije očituje u prihvaćanju Božjih darova i njegove milosti. Moralni i sveti život nije ponajprije pustolovina duhovnih velikana prokušanih moralnih vrlina i kreposti, gdje te vrline i kreposti jesu samo plod vlastitog nastojanja i humanističkih stremljenja, već je svetost odgovor Bogu na njegovu veliku ljubav koju je iskazao u povijesti spasenja i u životima ljudi