Just today I was asked to give a talk to the college students at Illinois State University next week about Emmaus Days. I went to ISU for the past three years, and am looking forward to this visit. Emmaus Days is a weekend discernment retreat for men which helped me discern to enter the seminary.
I was told the four main points to talk about, and one of these is the 'universal call to holiness'. I believe this is a term coined during the Second Vatican Council, which took place during the early 1960's. I really like this term, and find that it inspires a lot of people to allow God into their lives, but I started thinking about why this is considered such a new idea. I am not sure where, but I know St. Paul stresses in one of his letters that we are all called to holiness (and if anyone knows where this is, please leave a comment for me with the verse numbers!) Considering the Bible was finished over 1500 years ago, this should not be a new idea.
But, as I learn more about world history, and Church history, I can see why this idea is brought up so much today. For so long, Christianity was not a personal choice. Kings would often declare a religion to be followed by their country, and everyone followed suit. Towns would raise their kids together, and would center their lives around the Church. When someone sinned, it was a public thing. This not only put a huge pressure on people not to sin, but it also put a pressure on the individual to obtain absolution. In this manner, people attained holiness simply by following their cultural norms.
As public education became more important in the world, and then individual freedom, one's values became more and more of a personal choice. That must be why Vatican II formally declared the importance of the 'universal call to holiness'. It is saying we are all called to lead lives of prayer and penance. We are all called to have personal relationships with God. The culture is not going to commend you for valuing eternal salvation, so you are going to have to make the personal decision to follow Jesus and strive for holiness. Every single person is called to this, and it only recently became a choice for the individual.
Happy Feast of the Presentation of the Lord!
John Paul the Great, pray for us!
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2 comments:
In regards to the universal call to holiness, you might want to check out Lumen Gentium chapter 5 (it's available on the Vatican website). In regards to Biblical verses, you could check out Ephesians 1:4-5. I'm sure Jesus also says it Himself in the gospels, too.
By the way, how could you NOT tell me you were coming to visit??? :-P
I'm sorry I missed your talk, I was with the RCIA team in Peoria for a Rite of Election I think it was called. I hope your talk went well. - Ryan.
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