As we approach All Saint Day, let me offer a few thoughts on holiness. One of the central affirmations of the Second Vatican Council was the universal call to holiness. This means, among other things, that holiness is not the preserve of a particular segment of the Church’s life, but that all baptized Christians are called to live holy lives. A good complement to this teaching on holiness was another point of emphasis in the Council: the dignity of the lay vocation. Called to holiness, lay people are to express that holiness by participating in the transformation of the world as members of families, as citizens, and in the workplace.

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