Holiness and Goodness

Divine Appeal Reflection - 279

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 279: "Mankind only sees pleasure and evil ways. Good people are scarce and they do not pray sincerely and fast."

The voice of Our Adorable Jesus resounds above every ambition: the supreme end of life is not wealth, prestige, or fleeting pleasure, but to be good and holy. All else passes like smoke, but holiness endures into eternity. From Abraham’s obedience to Mary’s fiat, Scripture shows that true greatness is measured not by achievement but by fidelity. Holiness is not perfection of talent but perfection of charity—a soul conformed to Christ in thought, desire, and deed (cf. CCC 2013). Goodness is the visible fruit of holiness, the radiant fragrance of a soul living in God. In every vocation, this is the one thing necessary (Lk 10:42). For the student, holiness is found in purity of intention; for the priest, in zeal for souls; for the worker, in integrity of labor; for the parent, in patient charity. The world often confuses success with purpose, but Jesus unmasks the illusion: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (Mt 16:26). To be good and holy is not optional—it is the meaning of existence. Without it, life is wasted. With it, even the smallest sacrifice shines eternally before God.

Our Adorable Jesus laments that “good people are scarce”. The reason for this scarcity is that few people fully respond, not because God withholds grace. In the lives of Noah, Daniel, and Anna, Scripture unveils how one faithful soul can uphold entire ages (Gen 6:9; Dan 6:10; Lk 2:37). Such goodness is not limited to gestures of kindness; it is steadfast loyalty to God’s truth, purity defended with courage, and perseverance in unceasing prayer. Holiness shapes goodness into something that does not bend with the world but remains anchored in God. Across vocations, the call to goodness is concrete: the politician who defends justice when others exploit, the teacher who forms minds in truth rather than ideology, the young adult who guards chastity amidst mockery. Each act of goodness is salt preserving a decaying world. The Catechism reminds us that holiness is the vocation of all, yet its scarcity makes it priceless (cf. CCC 2012). Jesus longs for souls who will be “small hosts”—hidden, consumed, yet radiant. In times when evil seems louder, it is the quiet fidelity of a good person that sustains hope. To be good means one is not looking for applause but is going with the Lamb who has been rejected yet redeemed the world.

To be holy is to be set apart, not by withdrawal into pride, but by belonging wholly to God. Holiness is not confined to monasteries; it flourishes in kitchens, offices, schools, and hospitals. It is a daily “yes” that imitates Christ in hidden fidelity. Scripture shows this in Joseph, who chose silence and obedience over reputation (Mt 1:19), and in Mary Magdalene, who abandoned sin to follow Jesus in love (Jn 20:16). Holiness is not extraordinary deeds, but extraordinary surrender. In every stage of life, the Catechism maintains that holiness is the pinnacle of charity (cf. CCC 2014). To be holy means shedding lies, greed, lust, and pride , and dressing in humility, truth, and purity. This implies that in practice, prayer where activity reigns, stillness where gossip tempts, honesty when compromise would be simpler, and forgiveness where grudges would linger. Selfishness is burned away by holiness until only Christ is left. In order to become living tabernacles in the world, our Adorable Jesus longs for souls that consent to being changed in His image. Being holy means truly experiencing humanity, transformed in God, rather than escaping it.

The ways of holiness and goodness are traced by concrete actions to counteract the heart through prayer, fasting, and charity. Prayer causes us to abide in God; fasting cleanses our desires; and charity renders us in the image of the Crucified. Jesus laments that people pray without sincerity and neglect fasting. Yet these two, when lived authentically, are wings of holiness. Prayer must spring from the heart, not mere repetition, and fasting must be more than dietary restriction—it is detachment from all that dulls the soul. When united, they give birth to goodness, because they empty the heart of self and fill it with God. Sacrificial love crowns them, making holiness visible in works of mercy. Practically, this means a parent rising early to pray, a youth abstaining from distractions to keep purity, a leader fasting from arrogance to serve humbly. These acts are not accessories—they are pathways to heaven. Our Adorable Jesus calls us to rediscover holiness not as a burden but as our joy, the fulfillment of our existence. To be good and holy is to live as a small host—hidden, broken, yet nourishing the world through union with Christ.

Prayer

Adorable Jesus, consume our hearts in Your divine fire. Strip us of false pleasures, make us scarce yet faithful lights, sincere in prayer and steadfast in fasting. Transform us into small hosts hidden in Your sacrifice, so that our lives intercede for the world and magnify Your eternal love. Amen

Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.