Daily Thought For June 1, 2016

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The Great Call

He saved us and called us to a holy life. (2 Timothy 1:9)
In this one sentence, St. Paul maps out the entire Christian life. Yes, Jesus has redeemed us, but he didn’t save us and then leave us to our own devices. He has also destined us to become holy—to become saints.
“Who? Me? I can’t do that! I have a hard enough time just staying out of trouble. I can’t become holy.”
Yes, you can. Jesus was so convinced of your potential that he gave himself up for you. He looked into your heart and saw your desires for purity and innocence. He saw your desire to do great things for him and to build his kingdom. He saw the love and humility that lie deep in your heart. He saw it all and decided you were worth saving. He decided that the “holy” version of you was worth dying for.
What does this “holy” you look like? In a 2014 audience, Pope Francis described it as “a visible sign of God’s love and his presence.” He went on to describe the way to holiness: “Are you consecrated? Be holy, living your gift and your ministry with joy. Are you married? Be holy, loving and taking care of your husband or wife, as Christ did with the Church. Are you a baptized person who is not married? Be holy, performing your work with honesty and competence and giving time to the service of others.” That doesn’t sound too hard!
“Where you work you can become a saint,” Francis said. “At home, on the streets, at work, at church, in the moment and with the state of life that you have, a door is opened on the road to sainthood.”
Today, believe that as you travel the road God has put you on, you can become holy—simply by being more fully the person God has intended you to be, the person that, deep down in your heart, you want to be.
“Jesus, I embrace your call to holiness. Shield me today from discouragement so that I can be a visible sign of your love and presence.”
Daily Reflection from The Word Among Us (www.wau.org)

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