We often think that holiness is an unattainable goal, reserved only for extraordinary religious people or saints venerated throughout history. Instead, holiness is something close and possible. It is here, at the heart of our everyday lives, in the smile of the person beside us, in the kind gesture that does not go unnoticed. Holiness is a tangible reality hidden in the folds of our daily actions. In this article, we will discover together how each of us, in our own everyday circumstances, can strive for holiness, just like the many saints “next door” who have shown us the way.

Holiness next door

“I like to see holiness,” Pope Francis writes in Gaudete et exsultate, “in the patient people of God: in parents who raise their children with great love, in men and women who work to bring bread home, in the sick, in elderly religious women who continue to smile. In this perseverance to move forward day after day, I see the holiness of the Church militant. This is often the holiness ‘next door,’ of those who live near us and are a reflection of God’s presence.”

There are many shining examples around us, as well as many saints next door who have traced a path of light through the folds of everyday life. Here are a few of them.

Carlo Acutis

Carlo wants to become a saint, but that does not make him detached from the world in any way; on the contrary, he is very much present at school, on the soccer team, and at the pizzeria. He points his friends to what he calls the “kit for becoming saints,” which is nothing more than what he does every day with great joy: Mass, Communion, the Rosary, the word of God, Eucharistic adoration, Confession every week, and a generosity of heart that leads him to give up something of his own for the sake of others. Intelligent and passionate about technology, he creates a website with a section entitled “Discover how many friends I have in heaven,” in which he lists young saints.

Gianna Beretta Molla

“A wonderful woman - as Cardinal Martini described her - a lover of life, wife, mother, and exemplary medical professional, she offered her life so as not to violate the mystery of the dignity of life.” “He explicitly told me,” her husband recalls, “with a profound look I will never forget: ‘If you have to choose between me and the baby, do not hesitate: choose the baby, and I demand it. Save him.’” On the morning of April 21, 1962, she gave birth to Gianna Emanuela, and on the morning of April 28, after repeating the prayer, “Jesus, I love you, Jesus, I love you,” she died.

Chiara Luce Badano

Despite her illness, Chiara Luce Badano kept her radiant smile. Her room, both in the hospital and at home, became a place of encounter, of apostolate and unity; a place where Chiara welcomed and listened to those who came to visit her, offering her suffering and her prayer. She maintained contact with her friends, reassured them, and encouraged them to move forward without fear and with integrity.

Piergiorgio Frassati

“To live, not merely get by” was his motto. Piergiorgio, after finishing high school, enrolled at the Polytechnic University of Turin, choosing to study Mining Engineering. He wanted to help improve the working conditions of miners. He was a young man who loved poetry and mountain climbing. He often walked to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Oropa and, on the way back, prayed the Rosary and sang the Litany. He helped all the poor who knocked at his door. For this charitable commitment, he was given the title “apostle of the poor.” His short life left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him.

Sandra Sabattini

Sandra Sabattini is the first engaged woman to be beatified and canonized. She writes: “When I truly loved, I felt that God filled everything and everyone.” Her radical commitment to the Gospel leads her to say: “Today there is an inflation of good Christians, while the world needs saints.”

Now that we have examined holiness in everyday life and the stories of the “saints next door,” I encourage you to reflect on how you can experience holiness in your own life. What can you do, in your daily actions, to grow closer to holiness? Take a moment to share your reflections or experiences in the comments below. Your story could inspire others to follow the path of holiness in everyday life. Remember that holiness is within everyone’s reach, and every small act of love and compassion can make a difference.