3 tips to grow in holiness
We probably know the main things that can help us grow in holiness. Above all else, to frequent the Sacraments and strive to be always close to God, by abiding in Him in a state of grace. That is all well and good. But at the same time, the task can seem rather mighty. Much like climbing a mountain, where you see a little short-cut that can bring you up faster, wouldn’t it be great to have those little boosters every once in a while.
So here are three tips which I think will help give you that little nudge upwards and keep your energies up as you continue on your journey to your destiny: heaven.
TIP 1: LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Listening, as distinct from just hearing, is actively searching out a sound, a message, a nudge. When we listen to the Holy Spirit, we follow up on those little intimations to be better. We can go through life quite happily, ploughing ahead on our spiritual journey. We can advance and grow into someone who loves Jesus Christ. But when we truly listen to the Holy Spirit, it’s a whole different ball-game!
Think of it this way, we can live our life our way (nothing wrong with that!), control the territory, keep the ball in our court… and travel well or we can throw the ball over to the Holy Spirit, let go of the control and give Him the reins. How terrifying is that!? But honestly… it’s far more exciting.
So how do you that? Be willing and open to listen to Him. Ask Him for his Light. Be trusting of his advice.
Practical advice: pray the prayer “Come Holy Spirit” daily and truly savour the words and really wish them. And ask Our Lord daily: “Jesus, what would you like me to do today?” And that can really help you let go of control and share out the responsibility of your holiness with Him.
TIP 2: NUNC COEPI – NOW, I BEGIN
It’s nice to spout a bit of Latin every now and then. And then this one: ‘nunc coepi’ is one to keep. Write it on the top of your journal or wherever you keep your plans for the day.
We all know this but there is absolutely no ideal moment to begin growing in holiness. It’s now or never. Seriously! Bite the bullet…take the dive. When you feel yourself saying “Later, tomorrow, … not now”. Remind yourself that later is pretty much never. It’s dramatic, I know… but it’s kind of true! You delay and delay… and before you know it, you’ll be looking in the mirror, with your beautiful false teeth and silver-grey hair, lashing on your anti-wrinkle cream and thinking… it’s probably better tomorrow!
So yeah, seriously, try today to grow in holiness.
Practical advice: journal your journey. It really helps to put pen to paper and materialise our thoughts and plans. Just two or three bullet points perhaps, but write down each day what you would like to do today to grow closer to Our Lord. It might mean:
Reading a passage from Sacred Scripture and pausing for 5 minutes to think about it, or reciting the Angelus (and looking up on Wikipedia how to pray the Angelus), or creating a folder on your mobile specifically for prayer with your favourite apps and websites, and setting a goal to reach one blog post or 10-minute meditation each day.
Whatever it is – apply yourself to the task daily – it might only take 5-10 minutes each day, but it’s so worth it.
TIP 3: THE POWER OF SACRIFICE
There is nothing more energising – humanly and spiritually – than saying no to yourself in small things for the sake of others.
If you lack spiritual energy or insight, make some little sacrifice. That is why Lent is so beneficial for the soul because giving up or taking on something we find hard, purifies our intention and calls out to God in a tangible way that we trust Him and desire to be closer to Him.
When we say no to ourselves for the sake of another, our heart empties of self and fills with Christ. We take on Christ, we become Christ because Christ sacrificed himself for us, and we too can imitate Him in this great mission of charity by sacrificing ourselves for others for love of Him.
Practical advice: in the same vein as “nunc coepi”, you can make sacrifices today and they don’t have to be big but making the decision to do them is half the battle. Some ideas:
- Refrain from making a comment that could be “smart and witty” but slightly on the edge of hurtful. These tips on whether you are humble or not by St Josemaría is a good list to pick something from and work on it.
- Follow the rule of thumb: “I’ll take less of something I like and more of something I don’t like”. This could be anything: chips vs broccoli, sunshine vs shade, reading a book vs. TikTok, etc.
While sacrifices may not be directly connected to others, they do heighten our awareness for others. We are less “soft” in ourselves as we give in less to our comforts, and when we are less soft, we are more equipped to see and attend to people.