2026 happens to be one of those years when we get to celebrate All Saints Day on a Sunday. For many Catholics, becoming a saint sounds admirable but unrealistic. We believe in the saints, admire their holiness, and ask for their intercession, but struggle to imagine God doing something similar in our own lives. When I tell people that God wants them to become a saint, I often notice a distant stare that seems to say, “that's a nice thought, but don’t hold your breath!” I think most of us have some reservations about the idea. So let's look at a some common myths about becoming a saint and see which ones might live in our heads.
Myth #1: “I’m just an ordinary person.” We tend to think of saints as superhuman people who accomplished extraordinary things. But most lived ordinary lives, fulfilling everyday responsibilities and growing in holiness through small, faithful acts of love.
The truth is, holiness isn't reserved for a few extraordinary people. It's what God calls everyone to become.
Myth #2: “I’m too sinful. I’ve made too many mistakes.” We remember our past sins, failures, and selfish decisions. We may believe God forgives us but still struggle to believe we could ever become genuinely holy. In those moments, we would do well to remember St. Peter, who denied Jesus three times, or St. Paul, who persecuted Christians.
The truth is, saints aren't people who never sinned. They're sinners who allowed God's mercy to change them.
Myth #3: “I’m not holy enough, and I keep struggling with the same sins.” We imagine saints as people who are always patient, peaceful, and prayerful. Meanwhile, we go to confession, resolve to do better, and find ourselves falling into the same patterns again. We wonder whether we'll ever change.
The truth is, holiness doesn't mean we never struggle or fall. It means we keep turning back to God, trusting his mercy, and taking the next step.
Myth #4: “I don't have enough time.” Between work, raising children, caring for aging parents, and managing everyday responsibilities, holiness can feel like one more thing on an already overwhelming list. We tell ourselves we'll become more prayerful, patient, or generous when life finally settles down.
The truth is, our daily responsibilities are where holiness is found. Changing diapers, caring for a spouse, doing honest work, and serving a difficult person can all become acts of love. These things aren't getting in the way of our holiness. They're the very path to it!
Myth #5: “I could never live like a priest or a nun.” We imagine that becoming a saint requires hours of prayer or a life devoted entirely to religious activities. If that's what holiness looks like, most people will pass.
The truth is, God calls people to holiness in all kinds of ways: raising families, teaching, serving the poor, leading, or quietly caring for those in need. God is creative, and he has made many different roads that lead to sainthood.
Myth #6: “I’m not as good as other people, and I don't want to give up everything I enjoy.” We compare ourselves with people who seem more devout or generous. At the same time, we worry that holiness means giving up everything we enjoy and spending the rest of our lives being miserable.
The truth is, God isn't asking us to become someone else or reject everything good in life. He doesn’t compare us to others. He’s asking us to become the people he created us to be. Holiness means enjoying God's gifts without allowing them to become our gods. And the saints are some of the most joyful, fully alive people who have ever lived!
Myth #7: “My circumstances make holiness impossible.” We might be dealing with family conflict, financial pressure, loneliness, a difficult marriage, or a painful past. We convince ourselves that we could become holy if only our circumstances were different.
The truth is, we don't need perfect circumstances to grow in holiness. Throughout the Church's 2,000-year history, saints have emerged from just about every imaginable situation. Our struggles don't put us beyond God's reach.
Notice what these myths have in common. We think holiness depends on our own abilities. We confuse holiness with perfection. And we keep putting it off until some future version of ourselves is finally ready. But that's not how holiness works.
St. Paul reminds us that God chooses what is weak in the world to shame the strong. And Jesus tells his disciples, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”That's the key. God doesn't call us to holiness because we're already perfect. He calls us because he wants to transform us through his grace.
What if the biggest obstacle to becoming a saint isn't that we're too sinful, too busy, or too ordinary? What if it's that we've convinced ourselves sainthood is for someone else? Don't be discouraged by your weaknesses. Don't assume your past disqualifies you. And don't wait for life to become less complicated or for the people around you to become easier to love.
God knows exactly who we are, with all our strengths, weaknesses, and struggles. And he still calls us to holiness. The saints weren't people who never needed God's grace. They were people who learned how to use it day after day until it transformed them.
That's what we celebrate today: not just what God has done in the saints who came before us, but what he wants to do in each one of us. That work can begin today, right where we are. Sainthood is possible for you and for me, not because we're strong enough to accomplish it, but because God is good enough, merciful enough, and powerful enough to bring it about in us.
