Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI has told pilgrims to mark All Saints' Day that saintliness was within the grasp of all human beings who "entrust their life to God".
"To be holy it is not necessary to accomplish extraordinary acts nor possess exceptional gifts," the pontiff said in his homily delivered in Saint Peter's Basilica.
"It is simply necessary to serve Jesus, to listen to him and to follow him without losing courage faced with difficulties."
Benedict said that the official life stories of saints "describe men and women who, obedient to the divine purpose, have sometimes faced tests and indescribable suffering, persecutions and martyrdom".
But they had also "experienced the joy of someone who trusts in God", he added.
The Roman Catholic Church marks All Saints' Day on November 1, with the faithful paying visits to their deceased relatives' graves.