Christians have a goal in life. It has nothing to do with economic or social success, but with spiritual success. To achieve it, we must learn to renounce certain things, avoiding temptations and perhaps even certain people who lead us to sin. This goal is holiness, and millions of Christians of all ages and times have dedicated their lives to it. Aren’t the saints in the best position to tell us about the path to holiness?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: “‘All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity.’ All are called to holiness: ‘Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ (Mt 5:48)” (CCC 2013). And it then quotes Lumen Gentium:
In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that . . . doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.
All the men and women who have been canonized have followed their own particular path to holiness, but they agree on the fact that the key guiding principle is the imitation of Christ. Click through the slideshow to read 9 recipes for holiness from great saints:
And today we celebrate...