On the Call to Holiness in Today's World

We continue to share excerpts of Gaudete et Exsultate:
". . . Your personal mission is inseparable from the building of the kingdom. . . . You cannot grow in holiness without committing yourself, body and soul, to giving your best to this endeavor" (n. 25).

"Everything can be accepted and integrated into our life in this world, and become a part of our path to holiness" (n. 26).

"There are times when we are tempted to relegate pastoral engagement or commitment in the world to second place, as if these were 'distractions' along the path to growth in holiness and interior peace.  We can forget that 'life does not have a mission, but is a mission'" (n. 27).

"Anything done out of anxiety, pride or the need to impress others will not lead to holiness" (n. 28).

"The presence of constantly new gadgets, the excitement of travel and an endless array of consumer goods at times leave no room for God's voice to be heard.  We are overwhelmed by words, by superficial pleasures and by an increasing din, filled not by joy but rather by the discontent of those whose lives have lost meaning.  How can we fail to realize the need to stop this rat race and to recover the personal space needed to carry on a heartfelt dialogue with God?  Finding that space may prove painful but it is always fruitful.  Sooner or later, we have to face our true selves and let the Lord enter.  This may not happen unless 'we see ourselves staring into the abyss of a frightful temptation, or have the dizzying sensation of standing on the precipice of utter despair, or find ourselves completely alone or abandoned'" (n. 29).

" . . . [We] tend to absolutize our free time, so that we can give ourselves over completely to the devices that provide us with entertainment or ephemeral pleasures.  As a result, we come to resent our mission, our commitment grows slack and our generous and ready spirit of service begins to flag. . . . We need a spirit of holiness capable of filling both our solitude and our service, our personal life and our evangelizing efforts, so that every moment can be an expression of self-sacrificing love in the Lord's eyes.  In this way, every minute of our lives can be a step along the path to growth in holiness" (n. 30-31).