Editorial

Everyone has a vocation to be holy

All Christians are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. (“Light of the Nations,” the Second Vatican Council’s “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,” #40.2)

Every baptized Christian has a vocation. We are each called to be holy after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ and all the holy women and men who have followed him during the past 2,000 years.

What does it mean to be “holy”? And why does the Church teach that the vocation, or call, to holiness extends to every Christian, including you and me?

In its fullest meaning, “holiness” means perfection. We are called to be perfect, the Lord says, “as your heaven Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48).

Perfection is a tall order. None of the saints were perfect, but they were all holy. What does this apparent contradiction mean—especially for those of us who are not saints?

The Second Vatican Council’s document titled “Lumen Gentium” (“Light of the Nations”) makes it clear that the call to holiness is universal. Holiness is not just for a few. It’s for all of us. But it’s also clear that perfection is not achieved overnight, and it’s never accomplished “once and for all.”

As the council teaches, “In order to reach this perfection, the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor” (#40).

We have to grow in holiness throughout our lifetime. And we can never say to ourselves, “OK. Now I’ve reached perfection. I can stop growing—intellectually, physically, emotionally or spiritually—and just stay where I am.”

The path to holiness is a lifelong journey. Fortunately, none of us has to make this journey alone. We have God’s grace to sustain us, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments of the Church, especially the holy Eucharist and the sacrament of penance, and we have God’s Word spoken to us in sacred Scripture and reflected in the teachings of the Church.

What does it mean to be holy? It means making progress on the path to perfection. And it means growing in wisdom and grace, as Jesus did, by following the example of his parents, teachers and elders in the faith.

Holiness is a dynamic virtue. It is defined by the responses we make to the challenges we face each day. The more we tell the truth, the holier we become. The more we pray, and the more we practice our faith day in and day out, the closer we come to being perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#2015) teaches, “The way of perfection passes by the way of the cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle” [cf. 2 Tim 4]. Growing in holiness isn’t easy, but it is possible—with the help of God’s grace.

When will we become holy? When we choose to let go of our preoccupation with selfish things and begin to make real progress on the journey to heaven. Every one of us is called to be holy, to achieve our full potential as human persons who are invited to know, love and serve God. In the end, perfection can only be attained in heaven—when we are united with God and with all our brothers and sisters who have been united with him in the realm of eternal happiness.

For now, we journey toward holiness one day at a time, one step at a time. In the process, we grow and change. We resist temptation and practice the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.

On the path to perfection, we encounter the cross, but God’s grace allows us to continue the journey despite every obstacle. We are called to fulfill our most basic vocation—to perfect all the gifts God has given us and to become holy men and women who follow Christ without counting the cost to ourselves.

As we continue our observance of Easter, let’s pray that we will all succeed as we progress toward holiness—one day at a time. Let’s pray that, with the help of God’s grace, we may all make our way to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem where God dwells among all his holy people in perfect love and joy.

—Daniel Conway