Holiness in ordinary life

Identify a concrete act of love that can fit into an ordinary week.

Open participant handout All parish sessions

Use your browser’s print dialog. These original activities may be copied for home and parish use with the Life of the Saints credit.

Before the group arrives

Read St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Carlo Acutis. Use their introductory context and source notes to prepare. Print one participant handout per person. The short reading below is enough to begin; the complete biographies support further study.

1. Welcome and opening prayer · 5 minutes

Welcome everyone and explain the goal. Invite each person to name one word they associate with the theme, with permission to pass. Pray: “God, be with us as we learn. Help us listen honestly and treat one another with care. Amen.”

2. Read and notice · 7 minutes

Read the paragraph aloud once. Leave a minute for each person to underline a detail or write a question.

Thérèse described a little way of trust and love through ordinary actions. Carlo Acutis brought faith into a young person’s life of interests, friendships and service. Neither life makes holiness a competition for attention. Their different circumstances invite us to ask how we can love where we already are.

3. Discuss · 12 minutes

Begin in pairs for four minutes, then invite the group to share. Take one question at a time.

What is one detail from the reading, and what is your interpretation of it?
Why might a small, repeated kindness matter more than an impressive one-time gesture?
How could a hobby or ability become useful to someone else?

4. Put it into practice · 15 minutes

Give each pair three situations: a person excluded from a group chat; a chore nobody wants; a friend who needs someone to listen. Ask them to choose a response that is specific, respectful and possible this week. Invite two pairs to share. Name the difference between helping someone and seeking credit.

5. Choose a next step and pray · 6 minutes

Choose one small act, decide when you will do it, and reflect afterward on what you learned.

Give everyone a quiet minute to complete the handout. Invite optional sharing, then pray:

God of everyday life, help us notice the people beside us. Teach us to use our time and gifts with love. Amen.

Original prayers and session material from Life of the Saints.

After the session

At the next gathering, invite a short check-in about the chosen action. Ask what helped and what could be adjusted. Keep the focus on learning and care rather than comparing participants.

Life of the Saints · lifeofthesaints.com · Original learning resource