“‘Great’ holiness consists in carrying out the ‘little duties’ of each moment.”

All of us can attain to Christian virtue and holiness, no matter in what condition of life we live and no matter what our life work may be.--Saint Francis de Sales

(Scripture Text: 1 Jn 2:3-11)

Beloved:

The way we may be sure that we know Jesus

is to keep his commandments.

Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments

is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoever keeps his word,

the love of God is truly perfected in him.

This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:

whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk just as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you

but an old commandment that you had from the beginning.

The old commandment is the word that you have heard.

And yet I do write a new commandment to you,

which holds true in him and among you,

for the darkness is passing away,

and the true light is already shining.

Whoever says he is in the light,

yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.

Whoever loves his brother remains in the light,

and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.

Whoever hates his brother is in darkness;

he walks in darkness

and does not know where he is going

because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Too many people walk around telling others how they are a Christian, but at the same time they commit acts of hate and injustice towards other people in the public square and in the work place. 

It is not enough to walk around and say that you “know” God and you follow him, but also, your actions must show it consistently in all facets of your life, not just for one hour on Sunday. 

As the reading today says, “Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.”  But, “Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.” 

Whether it is going out of our way to help someone out, or simply showing everyone the respect that they deserve on a daily basis, it all contributes to living out our life in the way that God wants us to live.

Unfortunately, due to our fallen nature accomplishing this virtuous way of life is impossible without God’s help. Jesus’s conduct was so high above our ways (Is 55:8-9) that no human being can imitate His conduct without His grace to live according to the Spirit (see Rm 8:5). Sadly, too many people think they can live without God and his Church.

There is a reason Jesus Christ is called a Savior, we all need him, whether we realize it or not.

By committing to a Sacramental life, frequent confession and weekly reception of the Eucharist, along with a daily prayer life, we slowing grow more and more virtuous in our daily lives through grace.

St. Catherine of Siena said it best, “If you are what you are meant to be, you will set the world on fire.”

Why settle for mediocrity?