What we are endowed with, be it our intelligence, talents, gifts and abilities will probably be in us for our lifetime, unless something drastic happens.
So it can be said that if we are born with it, then we will always have it.
But whatever we are not endowed with, or whatever we are not born with, then we will have to develop and nurture it, if we desire it.
So things like learning a language, learning how to swim, how to drive a vehicle, how to play a musical instrument, all this we will have to acquire along in life.
That goes the same for the life of holiness. By our baptism we are called to a life of holiness.
Because of Original Sin, we have lost the gift of holiness, and even after our Baptism, we must strive for holiness.
Because we have been wounded by sin, and as much as we strive for holiness, we also must be aware of our weaknesses and that we can easily fall into sin, and even fall into grave sin.
But Jesus is our Saviour. He has saved us from our sins through the Cross and He will continue to stretch out His hand to save us.
Let us hold on firmly to His hand and through the Cross we will grow in holiness and have the strength to turn away from sinfulness.