All of us who have been baptized in Christ and have “put on Christ” as a new identity are bound to be holy as He is holy. We are bound to live holy lives, and our actions should bear witness to our union with Him. He should manifest His presence in us and through us.
We are supposed to be the light of the world. We are supposed to be the light to ourselves and to others. That may well be what accounts for the fact that the world is in darkness! What then is meant by the light of Christ in our lives? “What is holiness”? What is divine worship? Are we really seriously supposed to be saints? Can a man even desire such a thing without making a complete fool of himself in the eyes of everyone else? Is it not presumptuous? Is such a thing even possible at all? To tell the truth, many laypeople and even a good many religious do not believe, in practice, that sanctity is possible for them. Is this just plain common sense? Is it perhaps humility? Or is it defection, defeatism and despair?
If we are called by God to holiness of life and if holiness is beyond our natural power to achieve (which it certainly is) then it follows that God himself must give us the light, the strength and the courage to fulfill the task He requires of us. He will certainly give us the grace we need. If we do not become saints it is because we do not avail ourselves of His gift.
Thomas Merton
Life and Holiness
