You: Be Holy!
That's literally what the Second Vatican Council said when it spoke about the "Universal Call to Holiness." All people, not just priest and nuns, are called to be holy. That means that in a very real and true way,
you are called to be holy. Ever felt like your life lacked purpose and direction? Ever wondered if it was really all worth it? This is because you were made to be holy. When we don't make this goal a priority, life begins to feel empty and pointless.
Holiness is being like God
The word "Holiness" conjures up images of holier-than-thou folks with sour faces or frozen smiles. This is not holiness. Think of God for a moment - perfectly happy, full of joy, at peace with Himself, and generously giving Himself in Love through the Trinity. You were made in the image and likeness of God. That means that you were meant to live an existence of peace, joy, and love. Holiness is precisely this kind of existence. It looks like Mother Theresa picking up a dirty, abandoned child. It looks like Don Bosco juggling to attract children. It looks like Pier Giorgio Frassati climbing a mountain with a pipe in his mouth. It looks like Pope Benedict kissing a baby.
It looks like you, being all that you can be. This is what God has made you to be, and this is what God's grace can make you, if you will let him.
Holiness is Closer than you Think
When we admit that we are called to be holy, and that holiness really wouldn't hurt, and that it really would make us much better people than we are now, we have a problem: We aren't holy now, and holiness seems a long way off. Not true. I stumbled on a fantastic little book recently by Msgr. Steven Rossetti called
Our Journey into Joy: Ten Steps to Priestly Holiness. It gives a fantastic outline of the steps required in order to become holy. Taking a cue from Archbishop Dolan, I have adapted this list to the life of ordinary people. It will give you a road map to the journey of holiness. I'm not talking here about just the mundane, "I'm always nice to people" kind of holiness, I'm talking about the Satan-kicking, walk-on-water, raise-the-dead kind of holiness. This is about becoming all you can be through a personal and powerful relationship with God. In subsequent posts I will elaborate on each of the ten steps. Enjoy the journey.
- Cease any Serious Sin
- Renew the Habit of Reconciliation
- Pray More
- Dive Deeply into the Eucharist
- Nourish Good Christian Friendships
- Love the Church
- Practice Gratitude
- Embrace your Crosses
- Relax and Trust
- Abandon yourself to God
