Holiness is not just for the saints; it’s a call for all followers of Christ. Pope Francis, in Rejoice and Be Glad, teaches that holiness is the love of God and love of all neighbors—especially the needy. This love is nurtured through prayer, community, and acts of mercy, transforming us and urging us to practice almsgiving and forgiveness.
Virtue not built on God resonates with falsity that is encumbered with pride. Holiness is not about achieving perfection in virtue here on earth but about constantly fighting obstacles before it by allowing God’s will to be our guide.
Christian morals seem to impose on us a series of “thou-shalt-nots,” but these should be seen as the training of the body “to subdue it,” as Saint Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:24. To subdue is to master, and when one masters something, say a musical instrument, he is able to produce the most beautiful sounds. On the other hand, if he has not mastered it, he may just produce noise instead.
As Christians, we can give God what is due to him only by striving for holiness, using every means possible and every situation with which we are faced, however insignificant they may appear to be.