We Are Called to Holiness

One of the most beautiful teachings of our Catholic faith is that "every person is called to holiness." Holiness is not reserved for priests, religious, or a select group of spiritual heroes. It is the vocation of every baptized person—married, single, widowed, ordained, consecrated, young, old, working, retired—in every season of life, in every circumstance, and in every ordinary day.

The term "holiness" comes from the Hebrew word qōdesh, which means being set apart for God. Throughout Scripture we find God's call to "Be holy, for I am holy" (e.g. Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15-16; cf. Matthew 5:48).

Holiness simply means belonging to God fully, allowing God’s love to shape who we are and how we think, speak, act, and live. It is becoming the person God created us to be. It is not perfectionism or pious appearances. It is the slow, steady work of God's grace transforming our heart, mind, and behavior so that our life reflects Christ.¹

Vatican II expressed this call clearly in "The Universal Call to Holiness in the Church" (Lumen Gentium, 40): “All the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.” This means that holiness is not something we achieve—it is something God does in us when we open our hearts and minds to God.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, conforming us into the likeness of Christ, who is the model of holiness in his humility, charity, and obedience to doing God's will (CCC 459; 2013–2015). It is God’s grace that makes holiness possible, and our cooperation with God's grace that allows it to grow.

Holiness is not about doing more things—it is about doing ordinary things with extraordinary love. It is choosing God’s way in the small moments: patience with a family member, the integrity with which we work, kindness to a stranger, prayer in the quiet corners of the day, in the way we speak to one another, the patience we show, the forgiveness we offer, the compassion we extend, and the choices we make when no one is watching. Our homes, workplaces, and daily routines become the very places where God forms us.

God desires every person to share God's life, God's love, and God's joy. To be holy is to live in friendship with God—to let God's life flow into ours. When we cooperate with God's grace through prayer, reading scripture, partaking of the sacraments, doing acts of charity, and daily faithfulness to God and doing God's will, God slowly shapes us into people who love as Christ loves.

Jesus reveals holiness as a life rooted in self-giving love: love God with your whole heart (Matthew 22:37), love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39), forgive generously (Matthew 18:21–22), and serve humbly (John 13:14–15).

Holiness is simply living like Jesus in the circumstances we have. This is our universal vocation: to become saints in the midst of everyday life. Follows are some practical ways you can begin to live this call:

Begin each day with a simple prayer, such as “Lord, thank you for this new day. Help me to love as you love.”

Make space for God—a few minutes of Scripture, silence, or gratitude.

Choose one small act of charity—a kind word, a patient response, a quiet sacrifice.

Let go of one resentment and ask God for the grace to forgive.

Receive the sacraments regularly, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation.

Look for Christ at the core of the people you encounter, especially the difficult ones.

Holiness grows through small, faithful steps.

You are invited to reflect today about where is God inviting you to grow in love right now? What small “yes” to God's grace can you offer today?

Lord,
You call each of us to holiness—
not by our strength, but by Your grace.
Help me to love generously, to serve joyfully,
and to become the person You created me to be.
Make my ordinary life a place where Your holiness shines.
Amen.

1. The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, p. 514, defines the term "holiness": "A state of goodness in which a person—with the help of God's grace, the action of the Holy Spirit, and a life of prayer—is freed from sin and evil. Such a person, when gifted with holiness, must still resist temptation, repent of sins that may be committed, and realize that remaining holy is a lifelong pilgrimage with many spiritual and moral challenges. The sruggles evident in the lives of the saints are instructive when trying to explain and describe holiness."

This reflection was prepared with the assistance of CoPilot.