Desire and Efforts to grow in Holiness

The Lord gives us the grace to desire and make efforts to grow in holiness, and the more we respond, the greater the graces we will receive.

It is the Lord who first puts the desire into our hearts to grow in virtue and holiness. Holy desire is itself a gift from God. But as with any gift, we have to be receptive and to cherish it and to use that gift the way it is intended so that it may blossom to full fruition. God desires our sanctification. St. Paul tells us, "He chose us in Christ from the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Eph 1:4). This is our vocation, our purpose, the reason we were created.

What does it mean to be holy? Only God is holy and the source of all holiness. Therefore, to be holy is to be like God, to be in union with him.  But how do we know what God is really like? Who is the perfect image of the Father but the Son. Therefore, to be holy is to be like Jesus, to imitate his life and virtues, to be one with Christ. Is there one quality of Jesus that stands out? What is the greatest of God's attributes? St. John tells us that God is love. Jesus has demonstrated this love by his incarnation, life, and death. Christ tells us, "No one has greater love than to lay down one's life for's friends (Jn 15:13)." We are called to imitate this perfect love and thus become holy.  

Love has three essential elements: Sacrifice, forgetting oneself and acceptance. God demonstrates this love by sacrificing his only Son; forgetting himself as he focuses on our salvation; and he accepts our weaknesses and limitations. We too are called to make sacrifices for the glory of God, forgetting ourselves while focusing on the needs of others, and accepting others with their flaws, as well as divine providence. Thus, perfecting our charity and becoming holy.

All the previous points assist us to grow in holiness and perfecting our love. This point is a catch-all or a summation of the other points; a final reminder of why you are reading this. Desire alone is meritorious and therefore, we must cultivate holy desire. But it cannot stop there, because desire alone is not sufficient.

Desire is meant to lead us into action. Desire is our motivation, the fuel that propels us into action, to take steps to cultivate and practice these points. The strength of our desire needs to be tested. And when we are tested, we have to strive and make efforts and persevere. Even if we fall - and we will inevitably fall - we don't give up or give into discouragement, but continue to make efforts and strive for holiness and perfection. It is only when we are battle-tested that we gain wisdom, and strength and courage. The slogan, "No pain, no gain," applies also in the spiritual life. Our love must become tried and true.

"For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be (Mt 6:21)."

We see people making great efforts in all areas of life: school, work, physical health, mental health and athleticism. Sometimes I go to the gym, and I always see the same people there - they must be there every day, working out for hours. I'm sure they watch what they eat as well. They are very disciplined when it comes to their body and their physical appearance. But do they put the same care and efforts when it comes to their soul? Probably not. Most people's desires and efforts are focused on things that are rather superficial, passing and trivial.  

St. John of the Cross laments, "O souls created for such glories. Of what are you thinking? With what are you occupied? How mediocre are your aspirations, and how wretched are your pretended good!"    

Scripture and the saints tell us to focus our desires and efforts on things that really matter, that endure to eternal life. From the Old Testament, God tells the Isrealites many times, "Be holy for I am holy (Lev)." In the New Testament, Jesus repeats the same exhortation: "So be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect (Mt 5:48)." St. Paul reminds us, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification (1Th 4:3)." St. Paul helps us to put things in proper perspective, "Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one (1Cor 9:25)." Therefore, we need reorient our desires; to reprioritize our life; to refocus our energy. And not to go with the flow, or follow the crowd, or take the path of lease resistance but to choose the narrow road.

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and contracted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few (Mt 7:13-14)."

With the Immaculate Conception, Mary was preserved from original sin and actual sin by the prevenient grace of Christ. Yet, Mary still had complete freewill and conformed her will always with that of God. Mary had an overflowing desire to remain holy and made efforts to maintain her holiness. The saints tell us that Mary would cast her gaze downward as a way to take custody of her eyes. We know that the Virgin was a person of prayer, and practiced the virtues. Mary also strived to fulfill her duties perfectly as the mother of Jesus, the spouse of the St. Joseph, and the daughter of God the Father.

Our desire and efforts to grow in holiness should come from our love for God and desire to be one with him. Efforts in holiness and purity includes avoiding the near occasion of sin. We are aware of our recurring sins and how they get started, what triggers them - the actions and choices that lead up to sin. Yet we keep returning to that pattern of behavior, and wonder why we can't break the habit of a particular sin. Therefore, we should make efforts not to engage in activities or be with people or in places where we are most vulnerable to temptations. God gives us the grace to know and to take steps to avoid such occasions and break the cycle of repeated sins.

Lastly, often times our prayers are not answered, not because we ask for too much, but because we ask for too little. We should desire to become saints and to go straight to heaven after our life on earth. Purgatory is meant to be a safety net and not a goal. Yet many are content with just making it to purgatory. However, we are called to grow to the fullness of sanctity in this life and thus meriting eternal life immediately after death. But often times we settle for less because our desires are misplaced and our dreams too small and our efforts too feeble. We should ask God with humility but also with boldness to make us saints! St. Therese told God that she wanted to love him like he has never been loved before. And God assisted her to accomplish her wish.

Leon Bloy reminds us: "The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint."