Week 13: Rediscovering Baptism

Week 13: Rediscovering Baptism

We might not remember our own Baptism, but we often remember the Baptism of our loved ones: the joy of being surrounded by family and friends, the good food, conversation, and community. It can be a wonderful event. But, reading through Christifideles Laici, John Paul...
Week 12: It Begins With Jesus

Week 12: It Begins With Jesus

​John Paul II knew pain and suffering. He experienced it personally. His mother and father died when he was young, many of his friends were killed during World War II, and he had to live his vocation in a time of oppression, watching his flock deal with injustice on a...
Week 11: The Front Lines of the Church

Week 11: The Front Lines of the Church

We have seen that the laity is called to bring Jesus into society. And John Paul II drives home this point by telling us that it is through the lay faithful that the world is introduced to Jesus. We are on the Church’s front lines.  Each interaction someone has with...
Week 10: The Unique Character Of The Lay Faithful

Week 10: The Unique Character Of The Lay Faithful

Last week we looked at Christifideles Laici’s teaching that the laity belong to the Church. But, in the same paragraph, John Paul II quickly goes on to teach us that while we belong to the Church the laity does have a distinct call. We are meant to follow Jesus too,...
Week 9: The Laity Belong To The Church

Week 9: The Laity Belong To The Church

Last week we saw that the laity is a source of hope and love. This leads us to paragraph No. 9 of Christifideles Laici and John Paul II’s next teaching that the laity belongs to the Church and is responsible for helping Her to thrive!  The laity plays an important and...
Week 8: The Laity Is A Source Of Hope And Love

Week 8: The Laity Is A Source Of Hope And Love

The challenges are immense, even overwhelming. Facing the sheer depth of despair, anxiety, helplessness, and fear in the world and in the Church can make us discouraged. Very quickly we begin to hear the lie creep in, “This is all too much. What can you do? You are...