By Elena Perri • Posted June 1, 2023

For some Catholics, a life of holiness may seem difficult to achieve.

Matt Lozano, author of Free to be Holy: Discovering Who You Are in Christ, believes that living a holy life is possible, and he offers an encouraging perspective on how Catholics can do that.

“As baptized believers, we need to recognize that we are holy, and that this holiness comes to us through Jesus’ sacrifice,” he said. “The beginning of a lifestyle of holiness comes with reflecting on who Jesus is in us as opposed to trying to perform our way into holiness or have a self-centered approach.”

Msgr. Brian Bransfield, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Aston, said he invited Lozano to do a Spiritual Talk and Meet the Author event so that his parishioners and faithful have the opportunity to experience a “spiritual moment” before summer and to help them “connect and have a sense of God’s presence in their life, of God’s accompaniment with them, of God’s love for them.”

Lozano will be giving his presentation, Free to be Holy, this Saturday, June 3 beginning at 9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at the Delaware County parish. The event is open to anyone who wants to attend. It includes a question and answer session as well as a meet and greet with Lozano.

Msgr. Bransfield noted how busy peoples’ lives can become, and spirituality may not always be a top priority.

“We have a lot of important things going on in our lives, but very often the multiple directions can become frantic and start to squeeze God out,” he said. “This is a way to introduce God back in a way that folks can really begin to build within themselves a spiritual repertoire as they live the Catholic life.”

Msgr. Bransfield emphasized that Lozano offers “an everyday perspective on how holiness is within reach.”

“Our focus will be very practical,” said Lozano, director of training for Heart of the Father Ministries. “It’s not going to be very heady or theological, and I would love to answer any questions that people bring.”

Lozano acknowledged that the concept of holiness can be challenging for Catholics.

“I think a lot of us identify ourselves as sinners, and so we only see the things that we do wrong and we think, ‘Well, that’s who I always will be, and I’m stuck,’” he said. “A lot of people are in a place of despair or hopelessness about their lives, and it’s important to understand God’s power to change our lives.”

“For people who are kind of beating themselves up, I think they need to understand that they’re loved just as they are and that God really wants to draw near to them.”

Lozano’s goal is to share spiritual practices that Catholics can engage in and give them a realistic vision of what holiness looks like.

“A lot of people have given up on a lifestyle of holiness, so I want to encourage people to try again,” he said.

“All are welcome to come and listen to the talk and see how the Lord is speaking to them,” Msgr. Bransfield added.

St. Joseph Church is located at 3255 Concord Road in Aston.

Free to be Holy may be purchased through the Heart of the Father Ministries or Word Among Us websites, or on Amazon.