Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

Week 3: Real Holiness

For thirty years, Jesus grew up in Nazareth living a quiet, ordinary life. But it was an ordinary life of extreme holiness. He learned a trade, helped around the house, and spent time growing in wisdom and favor with God and man (Lk. 2:52).

Jesus didn’t limit holiness to extraordinary things like bilocation, floating, or visions. Instead, He brought holiness into the simple moments of daily life in family and community. He loved in the small, hard things that make up our days.

Our everyday, ordinary lives are filled with invitations to heroic love and extreme sacrifice of charity.

Where is He inviting you? Is it to clean the dishes for your spouse with pure love? Is it to put away the podcasts, TV, and videos, so your heart can be freed from the distractions that keep His voice out? Is it to actually believe that you can be a saint?

Your life does not need to be spectacular for Him to call you to the heights of holiness. You only need the willingness to encounter Jesus every day in mental prayer; the courage to let Him transform your brokenness; and the effort to do His will in your life.

This is real holiness.

Lay Life in a Year Overview

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Week 33: From Cranberry Cookies to the Eucharistic Family

We often hear phrases like "family of God" and "a welcoming home." But what do these truly look like in our daily lives? What is their deeper meaning? My grandma ‘s cookies were an acquired taste–cranberries, pecans, and unusual spices. Initially, I didn’t like them...

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Week 32: We are the last line…of space heaters?

Last winter, I set up space heaters in the basement. I go down there every so often and it is just so cold. I was determined to heat up the space. Successfully, with 5 space heaters plugged in, I looked around, content with my work...until the breaker tripped and I...

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Week 31: Polly Pocket Cruise Ship

When my wife was a kid, there was one year when the only thing she wanted for her birthday was a Polly Pocket cruise ship toy. I recently learned this was the single greatest present any 8 year old girl could get circa 2008. Well, a few weeks later a family friend...

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