We’re all called to holiness and sainthood – but sometimes our lives need a jump start. Maybe you have found yourself in a dry spot spiritually, or maybe you’re looking for some direction in the day-to-day living. You should check out Father Ed Broom’s newest book, From Humdrum to Holy: A Step-by-Step Guide for Living Like a Saint. Here are 11 tips that he gives for helping you get a step closer to holiness TODAY!
1. Make time at the start of your day for morning prayer
At the very beginning of your day – even before you get out bed – take a few quick minutes to offer your day’s joys and sorrows up to God. By starting your day off in prayer, you’re already placing yourself in the mindset of striving for sainthood.
If you’re looking for a morning offering, Father Broom recommends the traditional prayer:
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all of the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my associates, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month.
2. Incorporate prayer into your meal time
Instead of just saying grace at big family gatherings, ask for God’s blessing over every meal you eat throughout the day – even if it’s just a quick granola bar as you run out the door in the morning. Showing thankfulness for something we may take for granted is a great step on the way to holiness.
3. Open up your bible
St. Jerome once said “Ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ.” On your journey towards Heaven, don’t neglect to open up and read the very word of God. Try starting out by reading the readings for the day from daily Mass. Pray over the words and see what God is trying to tell you.
4. Go to Mass regularly and receive the Eucharist
Christ tells us in John 6:53 that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Father Broom says that receiving the Eucharist then truly becomes a “matter of life and death – eternal life or eternal death.” That’s a lot at stake.
Going to Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation is a must, but try to incorporate time with Christ in the Eucharist even more into your schedule. Maybe a church nearby offers a morning mass, or perpetual adoration.
5. Show mercy to other people
We can jump start our path to holiness and sainthood by incorporating more mercy into our lives. Even though the year of mercy is over, Father Broom suggests doing what Christ told Saint Faustina: “perform at least one act of mercy everyday. It can be done in one of three ways: prayer for someone, kind words, or some kind deed.”
6. Renew your sense of mystery about the Church
It can be easy to lose our sense of awe over Christ and the beauty of His Church – especially if you’re a cradle Catholic and you’ve seen Mass hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Father Broom suggests repeating a simple prayer to make yourself aware of the beauty of Christ: “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.”
7. Remember to be meek and gentle.
Being meek and gentle does not mean being weak or powerless. Instead, both of these virtues help us to keep anger under control. Christ calls himself “meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29). If these are virtues that Christ practices, we cannot go wrong with having more meekness and gentleness in our life.
8. Look to the best role model of holiness – Christ.
If there is anyone who has the holiness thing down, it is Christ. Look to him as an incredible role model of what it means to strive towards the Father’s will. For a practical way to spend time learning from his example, study His actions and words in the pages of the Gospels.
9. Find your mission in this world.
Besides our universal call to holiness, we each have a specific purpose for why God put us on this earth. We are called to find our vocation, as well as tell others about the good news of Christ and His Church. If you aren’t sure of what your mission in this world is, start with finding a good spiritual director to help you along this journey.
10. Remember Mary and the Rosary
Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Saint John Paul II. All of these are saints who were strengthened both by the rosary as well as help from Our Lady. On your own journey to sainthood, do not forget them. Try praying the rosary out loud on your way to work, or with you family at the end of the night. Remember Mary throughout the day, or consider consecrating yourself to her using Saint Louis de Monfort’s technique of consecration.
11. Read the rest of Father Broom’s tips in his new book
If you’ve liked any of the tips for becoming a saint in this article, you will love reading Father Ed Broom’s newest book, printed by Sophia Institute Press. In it, he gives tips for improving your prayer life, cultivating virtues, and how to make a holy life plan. If you are striving your way towards sainthood, this book is highly recommended!
