Part 1, Chapter 3
We are not all called to be Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Each of us has a particular vocational call from God. And we live this out in our own unique manner. In living our vocation, we are each called to holiness. This is the universal call to holiness since God calls us each in a unique way to serve Him. He gives each of us gifts, talents, and grace to live it. With these graces and blessings we are to live out what God is calling us to in our daily lives.
We tend to look at what others are doing to build their relationship with God and then we try to follow it. Most people are not called to get up at 3 in the morning and begin to pray. Some are called this way. What we are called to do is be faithful to God in our daily lives, whether we are married, a religious, a consecrated virgin, a priest. Each of us is called to holiness in this. Praying as someone who is married with kids is going to look different than someone who is married and retired. A religious may pray for hours upon hours a day, but this may not be practical for someone who is discerning their vocation and going to college. All are called to prayer, to be faithful and to live a devout life.
When we live true devotion, our prayer lives enliven everything we do. We are strengthened to do more. It is amazing when we are faithful to God what happens in our lives and the lives around us. “The devotion that is true hinders nothing, but on the contrary it perfects everything; and that which runs counter to the rightful vocation of anyone is, you may be sure, a spurious devotion” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 5). When we are faithful and devout life gets better. God is calling you and me to live the devout life one day at a time. Be faithful to Him in this moment and the next. That is what the devout life is about.