The Pursuit of Holiness
Life, Hope, and the Pursuit of Holiness
The resurrection of the body comprises the core of Christian hope and a powerful motivation for morality. It was a singular historical event with a multitude of eternal ramifications. While we often remember Christ’s resurrection (the source of hope), the resurrection of our bodies (the object of hope) receives less attention. But to neglect our resurrection is to miss what the Apostle fervently teaches the Corinthians about the life to come. Building on Aristotelian thought, Aquinas reinforces this Pauline dynamic by describing the essential relationship between body and soul as natural and fitting. As Catholics, we must take care of both.
That’s why Catholic morality emphasizes the body. We are beings created in the image and likeness of God. And this reality has rules: it requires submission to the divine order. Properly understood, maintaining that order is moral living. Throughout Church teaching, we see that the body is not just a temporary vessel for the soul, but an integral part of the human person, destined for resurrection and eternal life. Viewed in this light, a focus on bodily ethics becomes not just reasonable but necessary. How we treat our bodies really does matter: indeed, we have a responsibility to treat them according to their true nature, and that nature is destined for an immaculate and glorified future.
Binding together the various facets of Catholic morality is the pursuit of happiness, which is to say, the pursuit of holiness. To pursue holiness is to conform our lives to God’s will, for in “desiring heaven we exercise the powers of our soul.” For baptized Christians, this illustrates the countercultural importance of moral purity, particularly with sexual ethics. Sacred Scripture and Tradition alike show that the body is not just a tool for pleasure or personal fulfillment, but a temple for the Holy Spirit. Dwelling on this divine purpose underscores why the body must be treated with respect.
The connection does not end with rules, however. No, it stops where it starts — with hope. In addition to justifying the importance of moral purity in the present life, the dualistic nature of our identity bolsters this meaning with tangible reasons for hope in the future. Our bodies are not cocoons to be discarded, as the Gnostics believed, but permanent partners to our souls. The Church teaches that these vessels will not only be resurrected but transformed into a glorified state. Christ has rejoined the human and divine. Sin and death are terrible, but they are also temporary; our bodies will live on, incorruptible and eternal.
To achieve theosis, we must emulate Christ. That requires attention to will, mind, and body alike. We are commanded to live a life of moral purity, but we are also incentivized to ask God to transform our bodies, making them worthy of eternal life. The process may not finish this side of heaven, but it must start here. The resurrection is not merely an attribute of the Catholic faith but an essential component — both the source and object of our hope. In Christ’s glorious Resurrection, we see our futures foreshadowed. We get a glimpse of the ultimate display of love, when we find ourselves face to face with the risen Lord. That is what we hope for. That is what we live for.