How to Find Holiness and Happiness in the Present Moment

Many of us think of holiness as somewhere other than where we are and what we’re doing. The married man may wish to be a priest. The priest may wish to be a monk. The monk may wish to be a hermit.

But your holiness is found where you are right now — yes, even in your mundane, day-to-day life.

But what if you’re not happy where you are now? What if you feel that holiness is out of reach in your present circumstances?

Here are some tips for finding holiness and happiness in the vocation God has called you to.

1. Learn to say “yes” to your vocation every single day
Whether it’s your wedding day, ordination, or profession of religious vows, there’s a certain magic to those first moments where you say “yes” to your vocation. But some people act as if they have to give only one “yes” and then everything else is a breeze.

If this is your approach, you’re bound to be disappointed. Being happy and holy in your vocation means starting each day anew. It means saying “yes” to your mission as soon as you get up in the morning. Struggles will come, and you need to be ready.

2. Holiness and happiness are found in being yourself, NOT someone else
Maybe you’ve read a biography of St. Faustina and wish you were just like her. But if God wanted you to be just like St. Faustina, He would have created you as her. But He didn’t. He made you to be YOU!

Of course, you want to follow the saints’ examples when growing in virtue. But even that will look different, depending on your circumstances. If you want to imitate St. Lawrence and maintain a cheerful spirit amidst suffering, then crack a wholesome, self-deprecating joke the next time someone mocks you. Don’t go looking for Romans to cook you alive as they did him.

3. Learn to develop interior peace
Many people trick themselves into thinking that if their external environment was different — whether that be a different job, spouse, or vocation — then they’d be at peace. This is how the secular world thinks.

The fact is, you have some control of your happiness here and now! It also comes down to learning to develop interior peace regardless of external situations. You can’t always change the externals. But you can change your response to them.

God is calling you to meet with Him in your heart now. Whatever is happening outside of you, He can use that to sanctify you. So, while we’re not saying to not work for a better world, we are saying not to let your sanity depend on the current one.

As you’ve probably gathered from these three points, holiness and happiness really come down to serving God in the here and now, rather than living an imaginary future life. The devil will try to keep you preoccupied with the faults of your past and your worries for the future.

Only God is the answer to these anxieties. And He’s waiting for you to bring these to Him right now.