As a teen, when I thought of holiness I imagined priests and nuns kneeling in church praying quietly. It seemed completely removed from my daily life and so unlike me.
It wasn’t until I was older that I had a better understanding of holiness. I realized that it wasn’t just priests and nuns who were called to prayer and holiness but everyone.
Saint Josemaría Escrivá said it this way, “Your duty is to sanctify yourself. Yes, even you. Who thinks that this task is only for priests and religious? To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: 'Be ye perfect, as my heavenly Father is perfect.'” (The Way)
This universal call to holiness is not dependent on our age, job, social status, or whether we are single, married, or religious. It doesn’t matter if we’re extroverts or introverts or what kind of personality we have. God made each of us unique with our own gifts and personality quirks. His call to holiness reaches out to every single one of us whether we’re walking to our next class, working in our cubicle, chasing toddlers, or taking care of grandchildren.
God is reminding us this day that we are daughters of the King. We are loved and cherished and God wants us to spend eternity with Him in our heavenly home. As such, we are set apart and called to live our lives in a different manner from the rest of the world. Like the wise virgins, we know that the Bridegroom will come back one day. (Matthew 25:13) We are called to be prepared and ready. So how do we prepare?
In the First Reading it says, “This is the will of God, your holiness.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
Look around you. You are surrounded by opportunities to grow in holiness and to practice charity, patience, forgiveness, kindness and virtue.
Your life is your battlefield. The people surrounding you in your home, your work, your neighborhood, these are the people that need your love and healing touch. This is your missionary field because no one else can complete your mission as well as you can. God calls you to be holy—a Saint—at this point in history and where you are at right now.
Today, let us pray for the strength, courage, and fortitude to live out our holiness and trust that God will give us all the grace and mercy we need to fulfill our mission.
No one else can complete your mission as well as you can. // @bobbi_rolClick to tweet
Bobbi Rol is a wife, mama and blogger living on the Monterey Bay in CA with her husband, teen daughter, and three rambunctious boys. When she is not dodging light sabers or stepping on Legos, she can be found outside with her family, catching a late night movie, or decorating her planner. You can find out more about her here.