Used Book - REJOICE AND BE GLAD: APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE ON THE CALL TO HOLINESS IN TODAY'S WORLD, Pope Francis

The Church needs saints, not superheroes. From the very beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis has often spoken about the holiness of the Church, outlining not only what defines a saint, but also what a saint is not. On October 2, 2013, during a general audience, he emphasized that the Church “offers everyone the possibility of following the path of holiness, which is the Christian path” to an encounter with Jesus. The Church, he observed, “does not reject sinners,” but welcomes them and invites them to let themselves be “infected by the holiness of God.” Francis warns against a static and artificial imagery associated with saints, because holiness is something much deeper, nurtured by gestures, “many small steps,” that everyone can take where they live and work. “Every state of life leads to holiness,” he affirms. For Pope Francis, “there is no saint without a past, nor a sinner without a future.” Holiness cannot be bought or sold, but it is a gift to be received. “Holiness is a journey toward the presence of God, and another cannot do it in my name. It is a path that must be taken with courage, with hope, and with the readiness to receive this grace.”