"The Gospels and the Fathers have made it clear that finding holiness isn’t exactly rocket science."
Exactly - Jesus did not seek out the most learned men in the country to be his apostles.
On the other hand, not having Jesus here with us in the flesh, a certain amount of education is useful in reading the bible.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself, is what I seem to remember Jesus saying is the root of all the rest.
Learning how to do that is the HARD part.
Studying helps a lot.
Practice helps too. I, like many people I know, are whiney when it's time to practice.