NOTES for Pe1 1:15-16

God's call, "Be holy, because I am holy," was first heard in the second part of the Book of Leviticus, which, judging by everything known today about the history of the text of the Pentateuch, was written in the priestly circles of Jerusalem in the ninth century before Christ. Earlier (and this is clearly visible in the first part of the same Book of Leviticus), the main task of the faithful was to preserve ritual purity: it was precisely this that gave a person the possibility of approaching the altar, taking part in the sacrifice and the sacrificial meal, and being sanctified by touching the presence of God, which constituted the main meaning of all Yahwist sacrifices. But such sanctifications turned out to be only episodes in the spiritual life of the early Yahwists, although key episodes: after all, only priests could remain at the altar for any extended time, while everyone else at best spent several hours a week there. And in the time when the second part of the book appeared, it was revealed, if not to everyone, then at least to some, that the state of sanctification ("holiness") should become the norm for the people of God, although the Book of Leviticus does not say how to achieve this norm or even how to approach it; it offers only somewhat changed and partly expanded norms of ritual purity, not fundamentally different from those applied in the earlier period. There is nothing surprising here: the task of living in a state of sanctification, of remaining in it constantly, was in essence a task "for growth." It could be solved radically only in the Kingdom and only with the coming of the Messiah, although even this was still understood rather vaguely in the time when the call to holiness was heard. More centuries of the history of Revelation were needed, culminating in the coming of Christ, for the solution of the task that had been set to become fully possible, without concessions to human sinfulness and the relaxations connected with it. And now the apostle returns to the call first heard in the Book of Leviticus and undoubtedly well known to the first generation of Christians, who knew the Torah perfectly. He calls his fellow believers to see that in their life there would not be a single act incompatible with the state of sanctification ("holiness"), just as there were none in the life of the Savior Himself. And this call, of course, is no accident: it concerns life in the Kingdom, which is wholly and entirely a sacred space, sanctified by the breath of God. It is the space in which Christians are now to live.

At first, the call to be obedient children may seem demeaning. But then it becomes clear that self-abasement is the first and necessary step toward accepting the astonishing destiny which the Lord reveals to us. The call sounds so simple and brief: “Be holy”—and the reason God gives for it is so unexpected and incompatible with human logic: “because I am holy.”Unexpectedly, yet in fact quite naturally, we are given a glimpse of the direction in which we are called to move: toward the Lord, drawing closer to Him.

Even many Christians find it difficult to accept the conclusions that follow from this call. We are accustomed to seeing ourselves as sinners, and this is a truth we must recognize if we are not to fall into pride, which separates us from God. But the truth is also that the Lord redeemed us with His Blood, and now we belong to Him. This is why He wishes to raise us up to Himself.

The apostle Peter answers a question we often ask: how should we live as Christians? How can we keep the commandments? This answer is simple, even simpler than one can imagine: we must be ready for trials, keep watch, and, above all, set our hope completely on the grace of God! This is what Saint Therese of the Child Jesus later spoke about: infinite trust is the road into the Kingdom that is open to everyone. Having placed all our hope on His grace, we truly can live in His light, but only if we genuinely want this and sincerely open our heart to Him, knowing that He can accomplish everything, even what is impossible for us...