The call to holiness is a call to THEOSIS, that voluntary process of personal change and transformation that God calls us to as followers of Jesus Christ. I know that many, when they hear the words “personal change”, seem to “freeze”. I have observed over the years that people, even if they are suffering psychic pain, don’t like to change. In fact that it seems that many people “fear” personal change. And yet “personal change” is the royal road to salvation – to the fullness of life. Our Eastern Spiritual Heritage tells us that although Christ alone is God by nature, all people are called to become God by “participation.” In such participation we become likenesses of Christ and perfect images of God the Father.

Personal change and transformation means, quite frequently, giving up old and misguided attitudes about life and others and ideas of who God is and who we humans are. It frequently means that we must give up “judging other people” and believing that what we hold to be true is the truth and the whole truth. Remember, humans typically judge others only to make themselves feel better. Don’t feel good about yourself at the expense of others.