In the Meno, Socrates tried to explain the existence of the universal forms that exist outside of time. He believed that the soul was incorruptible and was weighed down by the body. The body was only considered to be an obstacle for the spirit or soul to be united once again to the eternal forms, such as the Good, the Beautiful, the Truth, and Justice. Just as there are eternal forms, there are also eternal forms of evil, such as Original Sin, Hatred, Falsehood, Ugliness, and Evil.
The call to universal sin is prevalent in our society today. There is hatred among brothers and family members; There is division among people and communities; there is war that disrespects the human dignity of the person created in the image and likeness of God. Christianity continues to loose its focus and more and more people respond to the universal call to sinfulness. Nowadays, people are no longer concern about their salvation and the universal call to holiness. Why? Because the universal call to sinfulness is much easier to follow than the universal call to holiness.
What has happen in our world today is the lost of respect for one another. People no longer see the goodness, the beautiful, the truth, and justice in the lives of others. It is difficult to overpass the sinfulness that people continue to see in others; that is why following the Lord and responding to the call of holiness is much harder than any other path.
The universal call of holiness is difficult to follow by oneself. If the person tries to seek the truth on its own, he or she will get nowhere. The respond to the universal call to holiness is a complete renunciation of the life of sin and anything that is contrary to the truth. This call is a complete sacrifice for the other people, a total respond in freedom with love, a self denial of oneself, a life of on growing virtue, and a life that gives witness by example and words. However, this can only be accomplished by believing in Jesus and allowing him to be at the center of the heart of the person.
When Jesus came into the world, he found a culture that was no longer living up to the truth. Like scripture says, "All has gone astray like sheep!" It also says, "God looks down from heaven and there is not one following or doing His will."The reality of life is that the human person is covered by original sin. The person will always have the inclination or impulse to do something evil and that is a reality; something that no one can escape from. Jesus comes and teaches the truth about God and shows the way to follow him, which is the way of the Cross. In this life, the universal call to holiness is the only path that leads the person to eternal life, which is the Good, the Beautiful, and the Truth. Jesus comes and still calls people to allow him to work through them and letting him conquer sin. Now, holiness is not something a person does like devotion or piety; it is a life of harmony and peace with God and neighbor. Jesus gives abundant grace to fulfill this call by listening to his Words in Holy Scripture, seeking the sacrament of Reconciliation, going to Mass frequently, and of course personal prayer.
The fact is that most people are comfortable with the state of life that they live. Jesus sends forth his forerunner to proclaim the Good News, that the Son Of God shines his light in the darkness. The person may find himself in total darkness and running away from the light. However, Jesus will continue to shine his light in the darkness until the person desires to return to him.
In the picture, there is a dichotomy between darkness and light. The couple runs away from the light in the darkness by responding to the universal call to sinfulness. However, God is faithful; he continues to shine his light by calling them back to holiness. The person can either accept this call in love and mercy or the person can fall into the abyss of never ending darkness.
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