We can aspire to everyday holiness

The new year has begun, but 2026 is nonetheless young. There’s still time to make resolutions for the year ahead.

How about this one: resolving to become a more holy person?

That goal was likely not top of mind for you when thinking about resolutions. But perhaps it should be. We are always challenged by God to go deeper in our faith and our spirituality – to strive for holiness, the state or quality of being holy, sacred or sanctified.

Yet many of us don’t really believe that we’re capable of attaining holiness, of sanctity. On one level, that’s understandable. We’ve tended to put well-known holy people of faith onto a kind of pedestal, as “plaster saints” that the rest of us could not possibly match in our own lives. As well, the models of sanctity we’ve been given have tended to emphasize a world-denying ascetism, an other-worldly way of being, when we need examples of holy discipline and commitment in service to the world and in solidarity with those who are suffering. Holiness does not mean perfection or withdrawal from the world, but rather a wholeness lived in relationship and responsibility.

This does not have to involve heroic action, as we sometimes think, but the disciplined practice of noticing where God is already present in ordinary encounters. It can include focused listening and staying present to suffering rather than turning away or allowing oneself to be interrupted.

Our Anglican tradition has included holiness movements that emphasized spiritual transformation and “Christian perfection” (freedom from sin) through a “second blessing” experience, stemming from John Wesley’s teachings, focusing on God’s nearness and on personal encounters with God. To live a holy life, one should cultivate a relationship with God through prayer, scripture and obedience to the core teachings of our faith. But perhaps we can expand our thinking about holiness for our lives. “Christian holiness in our age means more than ever the awareness of our common responsibility to cooperate with the mysterious designs of God for the human race.” Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote those words more than 60 years ago in his slim but insightful book Life and Holiness. Yet they remain powerfully relevant today.

Note that he mentions “our common responsibility” when discussing holiness. This stretches the concept beyond an individual pursuit of holiness in terms of seeking perfection. Seen in that light, we can be inspired by holy people immersed in the worlds of literature, art, political struggle and everyday life who provide a witness of holiness in a world that many of us consider to be far from holy. They can serve as role models for lived holiness in a society increasingly fractured along political, social and economic lines.

Examples of such people that spring to mind for me include my friend David, a successful realtor who has turned his energy to providing affordable housing. Sustained by a deep faith, he’s been involved with numerous non-profit housing ventures in recent decades. When a shelter in a nearby community was recently threatened with closure, he offered to financially support any landlord willing to offer a room to people turned away by the shelter.

Another person I’d consider holy is a woman named Sheila, who works tirelessly with marginalized people in my community of Peterborough to develop a community hub to help them meet basic needs, as well as the provision of tiny homes for the homeless despite opposition from the powers that be. She’s endured insulting behaviour at city council meetings while advocating for homeless individuals. Yet Sheila carries on at age 85. What keeps her going? I sense that she is illuminated by a source beyond herself, by a divine Light within herself that she expresses as a Quaker.

When I feel discouraged about the state of the world, I draw inspiration from David, Sheila and others who embody a holiness marked by steadfastness, courage and solidarity. From them I’ve learned that holiness is not about dramatic moments but about staying rooted in God’s love, justice and hope over the long arc of a life.

Life in Christ means growth and development towards wholeness – a word that is close to holiness. How can you strive towards holiness this year? What shape will that take in your daily life and routines?