Universal Call to Holiness

Kiaya Nickens

Christian in the World –p.8

Mr. Sanchez

December 4, 2012

Universal Holiness:

Assignment Respond to à

What does it mean to say, "if I need something, I chase after it if it goes away"?  How does this relate to the "Universal Call to Holiness"?  What do you think this quote implies for the everyday Catholic?  What do you think it means to "say who Christ is" without shame?

The statement “If I need something, I chase after if it goes away” refers to the determination of a human being. As humans we have a natural instinct to obtain what we want, our desires in other words. But in this statement the scenario is not what we desire, it is what we need. Desires and necessities can result in different action from a human being. What we want is not what we need, but what we need are the necessities. And when a human being needs something it is our instinct to fight, or do whatever it takes to get what we as humans need. We must be strive to obtain what we need as a human being. We must keep the perseverance and determination to what we need to acquire until what we are attempting to acquire is gone, or we have reached the point where we have acquired what we needed and there is no longer a purpose to obtain what you needed.

Relate this theory of attempting to acquire something with something that you need to a young, unemployed, single mother of a new born. Every sign points to failure within her life. She does not have the means to support a new child, because there is no money to support her child. The single mother is aware of this and she does not become discouraged by this. Instead of giving up and not trying to make a difference in her life the mother strives to become an independent woman and mother that can support her newborn. The single mother takes her newborn to her parents’ home during the day and searches for hours at a time for a place of employment. And while her newborn is a sleep at night she is up applying to jobs until the sun rises. The single mother does this for six months. Day and night she chases after what she and her newborn needs until finally one day she obtained her needs. The single mother finds a job and is able to support her newborn. The single mother chased after what she needed until it went away.

This theory of striving to obtain something directly relates to the everyday lives of Catholics. Every day in our lives there is a constant battle to sin less and try to become better people in the eyes of the Lord. We as humans try to emulate what Jesus did, or at least come close to what he did. We try to mimic His perfection. The constant attempt to be more like Jesus and his perfection is known as the Universal Call of Holiness. Which means that as Catholics we are called to strive to be more like the Lord until we have reached the goal of perfection. The goal of perfection of our faith can only be reach through a determination and perseverance of what we are trying to acquire. The notion of if an individual needs something to chase after it until it goes away directly relates to the Universal Call to Holiness. To become holy is taxing and obviously not an easy attribute to acquire. Therefore perseverance and determination to obtain holiness until perfection in complete and whole within us. The Universal call to Holiness relates to the everyday Catholic because we all need to acknowledge the Universal Call of Holiness and begin to attempt to acquire complete holiness.

The statement "say who Christ is" without shame?” refers to as a member of this faith there should be no problem professing the faith to whomever and wherever. We as Catholics should not have shame in what we believe in but profess His name and acknowledge how great He is and not have shame in our faith.