Is holiness only for priests, religious and saints?
No. The Second Vatican Council taught clearly that every baptised person, in every state of life, is called to holiness and to the fullness of Christian life and love. Holiness is not reserved for priests, sisters or people with extraordinary experiences.
For a student, holiness may look like studying honestly, treating colleagues with respect, being faithful in prayer and the sacraments, avoiding sin and asking forgiveness when we fall. For a health worker it may mean caring for the sick with patience and integrity. Each person grows in holiness in the ordinary duties of their own life.
Holiness is also a gift before it is an achievement. It comes from God's grace, and our part is to cooperate with it. Jesus calls his followers to be perfect as their heavenly Father is perfect, which means loving as God loves, step by step and with his help.
Sources
- Lumen Gentium, no. 40, 1964
- Matthew 5:48
- 1 Peter 1:15-16
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.