All Christians are called to be saints, holy people believed to be close to God. This goal is achieved by striving to hold God in the center of our life. When God is in the forefront of our every thought, word, and action, we move closer to the Almighty One.

In Seven Principles of Sainthood Following Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, I defined what I believed made Saint Theodora, also known as Mother Theodore, a saint. These principles are Pray with Saints, Trust in Providence, Spread the Word, Lead by Serving, Forgive Like Jesus, Be Just and Kind, and Strive for Humility.

Most of us can achieve a high level with one or more of these areas, but it’s pretty difficult to keep on track with all of them. We may pray incessantly but are selfish with our time and earnings. Or perhaps we spread the Word faithfully but also write hurtful remarks on social media.

We’re human and cannot be perfect. We can, however, try our best to be as holy as possible. We can stop when we know we are not being saint-like and determine how we can do better.

Even the greatest of saints failed sometimes. But we can’t achieve being like them if we never try. Isn’t it worth the effort to be closer to our loving, awesome God?

(Seven Principles of Sainthood is available from Amazon.com, ACTA Publications, and my website.)