Ad Honorem Immaculatae Conceptionis Mariae Oblatio

67 a sacred reality in relation to man, earth or things. This sacredness is re- lated to the presence of God, being destined for Him, or to the rituals that glorify Him. Due to the holiness of God, the sacrum understood in this way requires separation from the profanum which threatens it. In searching for the biblical source of consecration, one should pay at- tention to the group of words appearing in the Old Testament which have the Hebrew root “qdš” that relates to holiness. For the first time, such terms appear in the Book of Exodus relating the theophany of God in the desert (Ex 3:5), in the clear context of the history of salvation. It is significant, that the sanctity-sacredness of man will be related to the need for purification, the preservation of ritual purity, and special rites and legislation. It is mo- tivated by meeting with the living, One and Holy God and the reception of His gifts (Cf. Ex 19: 10-14; Numbers 11:18). God is the first to take the initiative and to choose a people to whom he reveals Himself, whom He guides and invites to make a covenant with Himself. This People of God is called to entrust and offer themselves to this One God in a complete man- ner, abandoning even the appearance of idolatry and obeying God’s Will expressed in the commandments and prophetic instructions. The root “qdš” also appears in the context of the calling of the prophets. They are the ones on whom God bestows a special calling in a completely undeserved way, whom He purifies (Isaiah), and draws to Himself with His love (Jeremiah). As “God’s holy ones”, the prophets are committed to be totally open to God; they receive special gifts for the unique mission that He entrusts to them in the context of the history of salvation. The New Testament brings the fulfillment of the Old Testament’s vision: it is Jesus Christ, who institutes baptismal consecration for all those who are called, while inviting some of them to follow Him more closely. As the Church teaches on the basis of the Gospel: Jesus himself is the one whom the Father consecrated and sent in a supreme way (cf. Jn 10:36). He sums up all the consecrations of the old law, which foreshadowed his own, and in him is consecrated the new People of God , henceforth mysteriously united to him. By baptism, Jesus shares his life with each Christian. Each is sanctified in the Son. Each is called to holiness. Each is sent to share the mission of Christ and is given the capacity to grow in the love and service of the Lord. This baptismal gift is the fundamental Christian consecra- tion and is the root of all others . [...] To some, however, for the sake of all, God gives the gift of a closer following of Christ in his poverty,