Almost a decade ago, a young man approached me after a chastity talk I gave and said rather abruptly, “Why do you only talk about sex? “There is so much more to the Catholic faith than just sex.”
Although I have spoken on a broader range of topics in recent times, I did speak almost exclusively about chastity, dating and sexuality for most of my time as a speaker.
I responded by saying that the Church’s teaching on human sexuality lights a fire within me that no other subject does. When I speak about dating or the Theology of the Body, I come alive!
I then asked him, “What topic within the Catholic faith are you most passionate about? “What makes you come alive?” He told me it was Church history.
I then said to him, “Well, I am no better off in my knowledge of Church history because of your passion for it. Has anyone else benefited from your love of Church history? If this is an area of expertise you have, maybe you should find a way to build up the Church with what you know and love.”
I was a little firmer than I would typically be with this young man, but I did it to make an important point. I believe that God has placed a burning passion to fight for a good cause in all of our hearts. I love the pro-life movement, the work of the St Vincent De Paul Society, and The Legion of Mary, yet I have not felt called to dedicate my life to them. There are so many amazing causes we could support or be involved in, but rather than criticize others for being passionate about a particular cause, we should rejoice that a person has found a worthy cause to promote and serve.
All of us should prayerfully discover what makes us come alive and give our lives in a dedicated way to spreading that! An easy way to discover this call is to ask yourself, what angers you in a holy way? What evil in the world makes you want to fight for change? What is it that, if only more people knew about it, would save them pain and suffering? What is it you absolutely love talking about, working on or promoting? What activity or mission makes time stand still?
I believe that the Lord has blessed all of us with different loves and talents. If we all respond to our unique calling, we will set the world on fire. If we all responded to that one because we are deeply convinced of, every need in the Church and in the world would be met. We are the Body of Christ, and we all have a role to play in building up the Kingdom. Not many people are Theology of the Body speakers or Church historians. Not everyone is called to join a pro-life club, the St Vincent de Paul Society or the Legion of Mary. But all of us are called to give ourselves something unique to our gifts and talents.
I think this is what St Catherine of Siena was getting at when she said, “If you are who you should be, you will set the whole world on fire.” All of us have a God-given mission inside of us. And when we discover it, an inextinguishable fire will be set alight in our hearts that we must share with the world.
Passion is contagious!
I am blessed to have found what sets my heart on fire. The teaching of the Catholic Church on human sexuality is liberating and offers a joy that is available to everyone! I wake up every morning energized and motivated to serve because I have a compelling “why” to my life.
Sometimes, our passion or calling can evolve too. Just because you start somewhere does not mean you need to finish somewhere. When I first came to my faith in a serious way, it was largely due to the work of Catholic Apologist Tim Staples. The way he explained and defended the Catholic faith blew my mind and opened my heart. For the last few years, I have been feeling a strong nudge to get more involved in apologetics and give talks on a wider range of topics, but I was hesitant. I felt that I had to continue just being the “chastity speaker”, and I was resisting the call.
It took some time for me to realize that God was calling me to something greater. I have not felt called to abandon my work in chastity but to open the doors to more. This is a good thing, and I have learned that God is never finished with calling us and leading us. Always be open and available to the Holy Spirit. You may even be called to a few different missions in your lifetime.
Enjoy the journey and know that by giving yourself away to a cause or mission, you are on fire for us, the key to living with joy! You might even set the world on fire with love for Jesus, too!
