HOLINESS, A LIFELONG VENTURE.
This is the will of God, your sanctification. This is how St Paul proclaims to the Thessalonians the greatness of their Christian vocation. Personal holiness is everyone’s duty which brings with it a lifelong “commitment of love”. Fidelity for us therefore requires a constant and loving effort to attain holiness. For nearly thirty years, St. Josemaria said in 1957, God has been putting into my heart the desire to help people of every condition and background to understand that ordinary life can be holy and full of God. Our Lord is calling us to sanctify the ordinary tasks of every day, for Christian perfection is to be found precisely there. (St. Josemaria).
We need to struggle, to rectify a little each day, by setting specific and attainable goals. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, and his commandments … that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may fulfil his word. This is what God asks of us: effort, the readiness to improve. Mistakes do not matter when we have the good will to begin again, time after time. The ascetical struggle is not something negative and therefore hateful, but rather a joyful affirmation. It is a sport.
A good sportsman doesn’t fight to gain just one victory, and that at the first attempt. He has to build himself up for it, training over a long period of time, calmly and confidently. He keeps trying again and again, and if he doesn’t succeed at the first attempt, he keeps on trying with determination until the obstacle is overcome (St. Josemaria).
God asks us to show our love through the daily effort to fulfil our obligations, the little duties of each moment. Holiness doesn’t consist in doing increasingly difficult things, but in doing them with increasingly greater love (St. Josemaria).
If we act out of love, we will feel the need to do what we should at every moment and reject the tendency to comfort-seeking. Rectifying will be easy; we will be hungry to give ourselves, hungry for work, not sparing any effort or sacrifice. It is well worth being generous, being eager to give ourselves, even though we know that our love will always fall short. Knowing that our daily struggle pleases God spurs us to begin anew day after da
-Excerpt from Book of Meditations (private publication).
Stay updated: subscribe by email for free TO OUR NEW WEBSITE www.catholicsstrivingforholiness.org (PUT YOUR EMAIL IN THE SUBSCRIBE WIDGET).
We are also in www.fb.com/Catholicsstrivingforholiness. Kindly help more people in their Christian life by liking our page and inviting your family, friends and relatives to do so as well. Thanks in advance and God bless you and your loved ones! Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
