The Discipline Of Holiness: By Vahe Sargsyan

In an age that prizes achievement, holiness may sound outdated — a word from another time. But holiness is not a relic. It is a calling. And it is not reserved for the chosen few.

Holiness is not a spontaneous burst of goodness or a single heroic act. It is discipline — a pattern of life formed by faith, refined by grace, and sustained by love.
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Holiness Is Still Possible

We often imagine saints as unreachable icons of perfection, frozen in stained glass or old manuscripts. But sainthood is not a thing of the past. It is happening — right now.

Consider Carlo Acutis, a young Catholic Christian who lived in our own generation. He loved technology, soccer, and ordinary life, yet his heart was fixed on God. He once said, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” Though canonized by the Catholic Church, his example reminds all Christians that holiness is possible today — even in the digital age, even in ordinary life.

Or the 21 Coptic martyrs of Libya, who refused to renounce Christ and were beheaded on a beach in 2015, praying the name of Jesus as they died. Their witness shook the world. These are not ancient legends — they are modern saints, living proof that holiness is not obsolete.

Holiness is still possible, and it still changes the world.
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From Standards to Sanctity

In the previous reflection, we spoke about higher standards — the call to live consistently and without double standards. But standards alone are not enough. Discipline is what turns moral conviction into character.

And from The War You Cannot See, we learned that spiritual life is a battle. The armor of God must be worn daily. The discipline of holiness is how we train — prayer, repentance, worship, service, and courage when temptation strikes.

St. Basil the Great warned that we must not live by the world’s relaxed standards, saying, “The Christian ought to be superior to the standard of conduct observed by the multitude.” That superiority does not mean arrogance — it means striving for integrity, purity, and mercy even when no one else does.
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What Holiness Looks Like

Holiness is not mystical perfection; it’s faithfulness in the small things.

St. John Chrysostom wrote, “It is not possible to live without toil and discipline. Holiness is achieved by constant effort and the grace of God.”

That effort is not about earning salvation — it’s about cooperating with grace, becoming the person God intended you to be. It’s the daily decision to say “yes” to Christ when comfort, culture, or ego say “no.”

Holiness is found in quiet consistency:
• when you choose truth over convenience,
• prayer over distraction,
• forgiveness over resentment,
• humility over pride.

It is not glamorous. It’s hard, ordinary, and slow. But it is the way to freedom.
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The Saints Are Our Teachers

The saints — ancient and modern — show us that holiness takes form in every generation and every circumstance.
• St. Gregory of Nazianzus said, “Let us not be mediocre in virtue; let us press on toward perfection, as far as we can.”
• Blessed Augustine reminded, “You say the times are bad. Be good, and the times will be good.”
Holiness doesn’t wait for a better world; it builds one, one obedient heart at a time.

The Coptic martyrs did not stand alone on that beach — their courage was the fruit of lives disciplined in faith and prayer. And young Carlo Acutis did not become holy by accident — he trained his soul long before the test came.
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Be a Saint to the World

We often say, “The world needs change.” But what the world truly needs are saints — men and women who are uncompromisingly faithful, rooted in Christ, alive with the light of grace.

You don’t need to wear a halo to be holy. You need to be disciplined. To persevere. To stay faithful.

Be a saint to your family.
Be a saint to your coworkers.
Be a saint to your community.

The discipline of holiness is not only for monks or martyrs — it’s for you. Right here. Right now.

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)