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Salesian Holiness within the Volunteer Program
By Taaj Lewis, Volunteer at St. Dominic Savio Parish, Bellflower, CA
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word Holy as, “exalted or worthy of complete devotion, as one perfect in goodness & righteousness.” Many aim for this level of divine comfort, yet find it more than difficult to attain, “perfect goodness & righteousness.” The questions that arise from this aim for a better self are: What exactly is holiness? How do I reach this state of being while keeping true to who I am? Where do I even start? These are questions that I find myself inquiring when looking for a greater purpose, a higher level of being. I can honestly say that I have not found my answers to majority of the questions that root from this one topic, but I have found the answer to what I believe may be the most important of all: where do I even start? The answer has been the Salesian Volunteer Program.
I have had the privilege of being a volunteer at St. Dominic Savio Parish in recent months and it has been challenging beyond belief. Not challenging in the sense of discouragement, but rather in growth. This month has pushed me to perceive things differently and act outside what media and society may depict as the norm. This experience has encouraged me to reevaluate my relationship with God as well as my relationship with people. When doing so I began to notice how strong my desire for holiness really was. I began to realize how the small challenges that have come my way have instilled in me certain values that force me to really ponder over what is “perfect goodness & righteousness.” Never have I felt such a great need to be better, to be holy.
Many youth avoid using the word “holy “as a term of ideal development because it is quickly put into a religious connotation, but it is not limited to this. Yes, we see the word holy associated so much with certain religious figures and items, but it is more than that. It is the peak of personal growth, understanding one’s self in the light of one’s faith. It is the connection with the Divine not because of religious vocation, but because of pure love of one’s neighbor, in correlation with God the almighty. Perhaps I have never been able to find my start to being holy because what it really meant was foreign to me; however, because of the Volunteer Program I have been better able to put it all together. Like previously stated, it has only been a month and I still have quite some time to investigate, learn, and grow. I am beyond grateful for this experience because it has taught me more than life skills and moral lessons, it has taught me about myself.
So in this journey to reach my own personal peak of holiness, I can only hope I am making a difference in the lives around me. Who knows, maybe one day you or your grandchildren may be going to my canonization because of my drive to be holy. Saint Taaj Lewis, I like the sound of that.
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