My Mother, My Confidence!
National Director of the Pro Sanctity Movement
Fall 2001
Dear Friends,
Holiness in daily life? Are you sure?
Yes, I am sure. The Lord tells us to, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:48). Soon we will be celebrating this message on All Saints Day, which is also the day that Pro Sanctity highlights the universal call to holiness. This is a time to live more fully our call to holiness as received in baptism. This is a time to take the gifts we have received in baptism even more seriously. I think however, that many of us, myself included have daydreamed of the perfect place, perfect community or perfect lifestyle where we could really be holy. Like me, you may have thought, "if only I lived in a secluded place or off in the desert somewhere, then I could be close to God and grow in holiness!" This is tempting to think but totally untrue. In our baptism the Lord has given us all that we need to live holy lives every day, in the ordinary circumstances of our day. He wants us to be holy in the "here and now" of daily life! We mistakenly think that because we struggle or because it is difficult that we must be doing something wrong. Yet this is where we find God and this is where we can say, “I NEED God, I cannot do it alone, God, not my will, but your will be done.” True and authentic holiness is a gift received and lived, it is not something we can do without God! How funny we are to think we have to struggle alone when our good God is there to pour upon us all the graces and the strength we need to live full and holy lives. We often sit back and wait for the perfect day and or the perfect community/family that never comes along. I feel that the greatest deterrent to our growth in holiness is DISCOURAGEMENT. It is the anti-virtue and poison to our spiritual lives. It must not be allowed to enter our system.
Let me remind you that the goal is not how far we go, the goal is to be faithful to the process, day-by-day, moment-by-moment growing in love for God and our neighbor. There has never been a time in history when this is as important as it is today! Holiness, living fully the life of Christ, is the ONLY answer to the ills of our society. Holiness is Jesus Christ and He is our answer, our hope, our rock and our salvation! We must not let discouragement or anything else stop us from living a daily life of love and holiness.
Holiness in daily life? Yes! Begin today to think in this manner, and may I suggest to help yourself, that you join Pro Sanctity in spending nine days in preparation for All Saints Day and the Celebration of our Holiness in Daily Life. Pray with the many people around the globe for a greater commitment to your call to holiness and especially for the gift of perseverance in living out your call to holiness. This is our answer to the American Attack: All Saints, All Brothers and Sisters!
Let me conclude with the words of our Holy Father,
"The time has come to re-propose wholeheartedly to everyone this
high standard of Christian living. The whole life of the Christian
community and of Christian families must lead in this direction” (IMA #31).