The Universal Call To Holiness

            Msgr. Luigi Giussani states a quote by T. S. Eliot saying, "Has the Church failed mankind, or has mankind failed the Church?" . . . Both, both, because first and foremost it is mankind who failed the Church, because if I need something, I chase after it if it goes away. No one chased after it . . . The Church began to fail mankind, as I see it . . . because she forgot who Christ was, she did not rely on..., she was ashamed of Christ, of saying who Christ is." The phrase "if I need something, I chase after it if it goes away" is essential to Msgr. Luigi Giussani's message about Holiness. Holiness is the fundamental vocation for all Christians throughout the world. The Church is seen as the holy people of God because we are His children and it is the essential matter of faith. This quote is essentially saying that mankind has failed the Church and in result, the Church began to fail mankind. If there is something so important that we need, we will chase after it so that it doesn't get away. Mankind failed to chase after the Church and support it, therefore the Church gave up on mankind. Holiness is an important element in the Church and provides the way that people are expected to act within the Church. For Catholics, this quote is even more important to abide by. Catholics are expected to live out their lives in holiness as best they can.

            At the end of this quote it states, "The Church began to fail mankind, as I see it...because she forgot who Christ was, she did not rely on...she was ashamed of Christ, of saying who Christ is." This quote means that since the Church started to fail mankind, it became difficult to know Christ and decide His role in a person's life. Holiness ties in here as well and is important in order to be familiar with Christ and trust in Him. Since the Church failed mankind, it became difficult to trust in Him and rely on Him for the things we needed Him most in in life. Holiness is used in this aspect to help reconnect with God and maintain that trust and faith in Him. Without this reconnection, it ultimately made it difficult to accept and embrace Him, which is why it was said "she was ashamed of Christ" and that it was hard by "saying who Christ is."

            Msgr. Luigi Giussani's goal was to use this quote and connect it to the message of the Universal Call to Holiness. The Universal Call to Holiness is the way people in the world must act in order to come closer to God. We are expected to become pure and flawless, just as our Father is. Often times we become afraid and become discouraged by thinking that this perfection of our Father is impossible to imitate. In order to reach this perfection we must try to use our strengths and talents as a gift from Christ and use those gifts to fulfill our duties in the spirit of faith, working through love. We must also receive all things with faith from our Heavenly Father. Since the Church is holy, all of its members are seen to be holy as well and manifest their holiness in their every day lives. The Universal Call to Holiness gives us clarity on how to be pure and how we should follow Christ our Father.