How do I live out the holy life to which God is calling me?
“He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works, but according to his own design.”
2 Timothy 1:9
The challenge from today’s second reading of living a holy life sounds daunting. It is easy to dismiss this calling, as it is more plausible to believe that religious sisters, or priests such as Fr. Ron or Fr. Matt are meant to live holy lives, but not the rest of us. But the second reading from St. Paul to Timothy does not differentiate on who is called to live in this manner, because this call is universal, it is for all of us. The question isn’t if we are called, but rather how we go about it.
Matthew Kelly, in his book The Biggest Lie in The History of Christianity, reinforces the fact we are called to live holy lives. He suggested focusing on creating holy moments throughout our days. His point is that if we are conscious of making at least one holy moment a day, we are on the path to living holy lives.
I think Lent is a great time to focus our lives. This is a great time to intentionally choose moments throughout the day that help us to be holy. Starting our day by going to Mass, or saying a prayer of Thanksgiving, allows us to focus the day on the Lord. Visiting someone who is lonely can create a holy moment. Making a meal for a loved one, whether it is packing a lunch or preparing dinner, is a selfless act, an act of holiness. Helping a neighbor to shovel their driveway creates a moment of mercy; indeed, another holy moment. Participating in a bible study, or reading great spiritual books, can allow for holy moments. There are numerous ways to infuse these moments into our lives, we just need to be aware that we can be intentional about them, and over time, with great dedication, our lives can be filled with them. Once this is the case, we are living holy lives.
If you’d like to know more about creating holy moments, I would highly recommend reading, The Biggest Lie in The History of Christianity. If you don’t have time to read the book, but you are ready and willing to commit your life to holiness, simply commit to one holy moment right now. Once you do, you are on your way to living a holy life.
– Chris Kozlowski
