Since the call to holiness is, in reality, a real call to personal change, I believe it is absolutely imperative that we develop a unique, personalized strategy to cooperate with God in the actual accomplishment of this task. There is not just one strategy that works for all. Each of us has an individual path that we must walk in life and, therefore, each of us must find the right strategy or strategies to accomplish this task.

I also believe that if we don’t have a plan in mind on how we want to proceed in the accomplishment of this task, we will never accomplish it. So, the primary question is: How do we discover the strategies that will best help us in this effort?

The first strategy which, I think, is applicable to all who desire to grow in their relationship with God is to actually sit down and make a firm intention to pursue spiritual development. A person must make a real “decision” to grow in their relationship with God. It doesn’t happen just by osmosis. I have to want to grow in my relationship with God! I have to plan on how I will actually try to accomplish this! I then have to implement my plan!

I’m sure that most people don’t think that they have to plan to be holy and think that, if they keep all the commandments and try to do good, this will automatically happen. While I suppose this could be possible, I don’t think that usually happens that way. Most of the saints had spiritual fathers or mothers that they talked to repeatedly so that they stayed focused on the task of becoming holy.

Once you have made a decision that you really want to become a saint, then your personalized plan takes over. First you have to determine in which areas you have to grow. Probably one of the areas that most of us have to focus on first is WHEN, WHERE and HOW to make PRAYER a real part of our lives outside of attendance at Divine Services. I shall share some thoughts about this in the coming issues.