Even the unclean spirits rave effusively about Jesus. 'And whenever unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall at His feet and shout, "You are the Son of God." But He commanded them to say no more' (v11-12). Jesus exuded the power of holiness that dismayed the unclean spirits because they could no longer oppress their victims with defilement. They were silenced from dissuading people with falsehood. The command from Jesus for them to be silent is to stop the people from praising the wonders He had done with their political motives. It speaks of their unholy intentions.

The Letter to the Hebrews highlighted the holiness of Jesus as High Priest, "Therefore, He has the full power to save those who approach God through Him, since He lives forever to intercede for them. It was fitting that we should have such a high priest - holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and raised high above the heavens." With this, Christ Jesus sanctifies the offering of our lives.

Holiness is the way of life for Christians. The call to holiness as Pope Francis exhorts to the people of God, the Church, has many visible signs. Here are the keywords to provide us with the compass to a life of holiness: In our daily undertakings, do we nurture and instil perseverance, patience, meekness, joy and a sense of humour, boldness and passion, oriented towards living in community and in constant prayer? Lest we are just navel gazing, it also points to the presence of holiness in others.