Called to be a Saint - Who? Me?
The call to holiness is one that has been placed upon humanity’s shoulders since the dawn of creation. It is not an easy task to undertake, and as a result, many have tried to simplify this call to make life easier. For example, many Catholics believe that holiness solely consists in attending Mass for one hour every week. Yet, it seems absurd to believe that Jesus’ definition of perfection is attending Mass on Sunday. The call to holiness permeates one’s entire life and calls them to be a witness to Christ just as much on Wednesday at the workplace as on Sunday at Church; however, that witness may take a very different form each day of the week
While all of humanity is called to holiness, we are all aware that many forsake that call to follow the pleasures and desires of the flesh. Yet, I would argue that those who entirely forsake the call to holiness are not the most detrimental to the Kingdom of God; rather, it is the practicing Catholic who possesses the greatest potential to build up or tear down the Kingdom of God. For example, if a person who is questioning their faith sees parishioners squabbling over a parking space after Mass, the undecided might be deterred in his faith, consider the Church hypocritical and decide to leave. Therefore, we, who call ourselves Catholics, must always seek to be holy, lest we lead the little ones astray and warrant a milestone around our necks.
Through their dedication to growth in holiness, the number of Catholics coming back to the Church will increase along with the number of young men and women pursuing vocations to the priesthood and religious life. I can personally say that nothing has helped me more in the pursuit of my vocation than the example of holy men and women in my parish. I believe that, if you are frustrated with low Church attendance and a lack of interest towards religious vocations, I ask that you strive for holiness in all aspects of your life and God will take care of the rest.
The key is never getting comfortable with your state in life and always striving to be holier. Of course, this can only be accomplished through Christ and the frequent reception of His sacraments. Therefore, I would advise anyone seriously desiring to live out the call to holiness to attend daily Mass whenever possible and to go to frequent confession. While doing this will not make you automatically holy, God’s grace, through His sacraments, will give you the means to "be holy and blameless in God’s sight" (Ephesians 1:4).
Tim Brown is a 2nd year seminarian at St. John Vianney Seminary, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN