The Saints are our intercessors, spiritual companions, and guides—working for us from heaven. They work to help each of us become what we, too, were meant to be... Saints.

“We were all made to be Saints. That may sound poetic and idealistic. [But] you were not made for mediocrity. You were not made to drift through this life, make a living, entertain yourself, and then fade away. It’s not what God intended. You’ve got divine fingerprints on you. You were made to be a Saint! All the great Saints understood this. The truth is [that] some of the greatest Saints started as [some of] the greatest sinners. So have hope!”
— Drew Marianni, show host on Relevant Radio

The good news is that holiness isn’t reserved for a select few. You might think that your situation is different. You may tell to yourself “If people only knew what I’ve done, they’d think it’s crazy to believe I could be a saint.” But that is a lie whispered by the enemy of our souls. No matter the past or circumstances, everyone can become holy.

What does it take to be holy? It’s simple—though not necessarily easy. Holiness begins with surrender: giving ourselves completely to God’s will. It starts with the decision to say “yes” to God, again and again, in the ordinary moments of life. How do you do this? Through intimate prayer, by growing in love for God, and, as St. Thomas Aquinas taught, by choosing to will it.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Saints is that they are boring—or that Catholics worship them. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. The Saints are anything but boring, and Catholics do not worship them. Instead, we look to them for inspiration; we strive to imitate their virtues and honor their example. Most Saints were ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives for God. Their stories inspire us with their joy, faith, perseverance, and courage.

Does joining an underground resistance force against the Nazi’s during WWII (and later resisting communism) sound boring? That was St. John Paul II, who chose to enter the seminary amid the horrors of war-torn Poland. Are you a teenager who loves sports, video games, computers, and your dog? Imagine using your tech skills to build a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles around the world—that’s St. Carlo Acutis. Or imagine being a very young girl, from a tiny town, without much education or experience, and suddenly you’re chosen by God to lead armies in battle and guide kings to righteousness—that’s St. Joan of Arc. Inspiring? Absolutely. Boring? Never.

Across two thousand years of history, the Saints have come from every background imaginable: martyrs like St. Stephen, warriors like St. Ignatius of Loyola, intellectuals like St. Thomas Aquinas, servants like St. Teresa of Calcutta, mystics like St. John of the Cross, jokesters like St. Philip Neri, humble workers like St. Joseph, and adventurous outdoorsmen like St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.

There truly is a Saint for everyone—someone whose life we can relate to, draw closer to, and be inspired by. Growing in holiness doesn’t require founding a mission or starting a religious order. The Saints remind us that holiness doesn’t mean being outdated or detached from the world; it’s about bringing Christ into every part of it. Each small “yes” to love and to God—each act of patience, kindness, or mercy—shapes our hearts to reflect Christ more fully.

Resources To Help You On Your Journey To Holiness:
Book: Saints at Heart: How Fault-Filled, Problem-Prone, Imperfect People Like Us Can Be Holy by Bert Ghezzi
Podcast: The Saints: Adventures of Faith and Courage on Relevant Radio
Broadcast: They Might Be Saints and Saints Alive! on EWTN (Catholic programming)

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For more information about the Catholic faith, click here.