It’s pretty easy to feel holy sitting peacefully in Church, whether at Holy Mass or in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but it sure gets a lot harder once we walk out the door.

We are called to be holy, which means loving and serving God and our neighbor, in every environment, all the time. This is something the saints managed to do well by the end of their lives here on earth. We know from the stories of their lives that they struggled like we do. Only with God’s grace, aided by prayer and frequent reception of the sacraments, can we also hope to achieve this goal.

I realize that most of the time, it’s not the environment that challenges us most, but the people in that environment. Sometimes it’s the combination of the two, such as a person in the workplace who we simply don’t gel along with very well.

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Some people come into your life as blessings and other people come into your life as lessons.”

I know this to be true in my life and maybe you do too.

Some people challenge us to grow in a virtue, such as patience, kindness or humility. The Blessed Mother is a beautiful guide for us here as we seek to grow in holiness; we can ponder in our hearts, as she did, all that is happening around us and our role in it.

Addressing our challenges head-on, no matter how small, with time and attention in prayer, and with gentleness toward ourselves and others, can go along way in helping us grow in holiness. Maybe you’re like me and you even laugh when you ponder a situation and suddenly realize how silly your behavior was at that moment. Sigh.

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta encourages us onward, “God doesn’t require us to succeed, he only requires that you try.”

So we continue to strive for holiness with all people and in all environments; at home, at work, on the playing field, at church, at the grocery store, in the car … there is no time or place where we aren’t called to be holy.

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “You have to be holy where you are – wherever God has put you.”

So we can’t give up or move away! We must call upon God often to help us turn these little scoundrels into sturdy strengths.

St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s words light the way, “Nothing can make me holy except the presence of God, and to me, the presence of God is fidelity to small things. Fidelity to small things will lead you to Christ. Infidelity to small things will lead you to sin.”