““Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16
To be a saint is the only and greatest treasure of man. To not be a saint is the greatest tragedy.
Sanctity is not something to obtain haphazardly or just to hope for like lottery numbers. To become a saint, one must plan. That plan must start immediately. We can’t cut corners or try to fudge the results or cheat. Form a formal plan and write it down. Work on it and make it happen. If you’re going to be OCD about anything, sainthood is it.
Here is the plan I’m going to begin…it may grow as I am purified and sanctified by God (you see Heaven more clearly as you wipe away the world).
#1 – Prayer: don’t ask ‘do I pray enough?’ The answer is ‘no’ – no one prays enough. That simply isn’t possible this side of the pearly gates. Ask, am I praying as much as I should? Do I have room for growth? Can I add acts of my life to my prayer?
#2 – Bible: Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. How can a soul come to know God and what sanctity is without His Word? How can God form me, if I don’t read His word?
#3 – Service: the actions of our faith are hypercritical. Our actions show our faith. See Matthew 25:31-46 for proof of the importance of our service as well as how Jesus will view it.
#4 – Confession: go before God’s Mercy seat and ask His forgiveness and Divine Mercy. Go contrite and sorrowful. Come out a leap forward in sanctity. Go at least every other month. Armor up! Haven’t gone in years? Start now without fear, God is waiting and the priest will help you through.
#5 – Holy Mass: the Eucharist and celebration of Mass is the pinnacle of the ladder to sainthood. No saint has ever attained Heaven without the Eucharist and all write how critical it is to their journey.
#6 – learn from the best: Who is your favorite saint? What is it about him/her that stands out for you? How might you emulate this saint?
#7 – fasting and Almsgiving: some things are impossible without fasting. Set a day – for me, goal is Wednesdays and Fridays to fast to just one light and one regular meal. Giving alms is more than giving a tithe, it’s about using the gifts God has shared with you to make His Kingdom better and stronger.
#8 – Avoid sin: maybe you’re stuck in a chronic sin or just sin in general. Follow more stronger the words of the Act of Contrition, “I firmly resolve with the help of Thy grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin.”
The key to becoming a saint is to start now and aim for sanctity. To ‘be holy as your Father is Holy.’ One can’t become holy by hoping for it, one must make a plan and make it happen.