What makes a person, a thing or even God, himself, "holy"? The word "holy" comes to us from Old English and German origins from words pertaining to health or wholeness; things that were not to be violated. The word can be found in various expressions and is the root of many words: "holiday" is literally a "holy day" and originally only referred to religious feast days; "halibut" seems to come from two words, "holy" and "butte" (a word for a flatfish), being a fish eaten on "holy" Fridays. The word "Sacred" comes from Latin origins and is used with the word "holy" to describe things pertaining to God. Its ancient meaning referred to the binding, restricting,  enclosing or protecting of something which is why one‘s 'sacred oath‘ is still considered binding on a level deeper than a promise. The Church has referred to things, people and events as holy or sacred because they are set apart as pertaining to God or for God‘s use alone. Our church buildings are considered sacred space because they are the places where God‘s People gather to celebrate the Sacraments and the Sacraments are holy because God, Himself, becomes present in a special way through the actions of the priests and God‘s holy people.

Things that are holy are often set up in contrast to things that are considered profane. The word "profane" is derived from two Latin words that mean "before or outside of the temple" and so profane words, objects or actions are those things that are not worthy of being in God‘s presence.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is referred to as the "Holy One of God". This description presents Jesus as the pattern by which all holy things are measured. As members of the Body of Christ, bound together by Jesus‘ sacrifice, we become the Holy Ones of God, called to be set apart from the world even as we strive to serve the world just as Jesus did. As we reflect this month on Jesus, our Refuge, we call on the Holy One of God to keep us holy and to shelter us from what would take us from the path of holiness.