Holiness Is Simple
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Today is November 1, the Feast of All Saints. This feast should remind us of the truth of the universal call to holiness. God created every person to become a saint. Furthermore, it is not difficult to become a saint. We must simply conform ourselves to the will of God. The will of God can easily make you a saint if you just know how to let Him. Here are 5 steps to let God make you a saint through union with His will. All you need to do is learn to say “yes.”
The first way we do the will of God is to fulfill the responsibilities of our state in life by doing them for the love of God and doing them the best that we can.
Mistakenly, Christians think they have to be doing “spiritual” or “Christian” things to be serving God. That prayer, evangelization and caring for the poor are Christian activities and the rest are secular or worldly things. This is Not so. The first way we serve God and become saints is living our ordinary lives for the love of God. Go to bed on time, get up on time, spend time in prayer, go to work and do your best and don’t complain but give thanks to God for your work. Love and honor your spouse, which means anticipate their needs and take initiative to do what is best for them. Know, understand, and love your kids. Again, love is to do what is best for them physically, intellectually and most importantly spiritually. The first way to live a holy life is to live your ordinary life well and for God. If you don’t do that the so called Christian things you do wont matter much because your path to God is through your ordinary duties.
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The second way we do the will of God is by living according to His design for us which we call the moral law, made known in the 10 commandments and the teachings of Jesus found in part three of the CCC. And when we sin or fail in some duty, we simply admit to God and to those we have offended or failed our guilt, ask forgiveness and begin again. A righteous man falls seven times a day, but he always gets back up again. He is not righteous for falling but for always getting back up. Perfection is not measured by never falling but how quickly you get up. And the faster you rise after a fall the more perfect you become. So just don’t quit and don’t give into discouragement, keep going.
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The third way we fulfill the will of God is to accept all that He allows. Whatever happens that is beyond our control God permits for our benefit if we humbly accept it with trust. Surrendering or accepting what God allows does not mean defeat. It means recognizing our judgment is not the ultimate criteria for what is good for us. God knows better.
Joseph in the OT was sold into slavery by his own brothers yet God in His Providence used this for the good of Joseph and to save the whole world from famine.
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Fourth, delight in all the good God has made, beginning with yourself. God made you; He looks at you and says, “It is good that you exist, how wonderful you are!” Contrast that with the story we too often tell ourselves or have heard from others - that we don’t measure up; that we are not good enough; we must work to earn our worth or to be loved. Have you ever said to yourself “I don’t have what it takes, so what’s?” You have what it takes. You were made in the image of God. Is 43:1 But now, thus says Yahweh, who created you, who formed you: Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
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Five, give thanks in all things because, as I said above, nothing can happen except what God wills or allows, and even if a thing be bad, God is so all powerful and good that he can even turn an evil to our greatest benefit. We may not be able to see it now, and we are not expected to like an evil that has been done to us; but with faith and trust we can thank God ahead of time, not for the evil but that He takes the evil done and transforms it into good so that He is working all things for good for us.
1 Thess 5:16 Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.