Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

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, but in a way that makes our vocation unique while still leading us to experience the fullness of God’s love.

We don’t have to be a priest, religious, or work in professional ministry to live out the Gospel, though we gain wisdom and guidance from those who live these lives.

The laity is called to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in all the different parts of society and ordering them back to the Lord.

Jesus wants His love to be everywhere and we have the special privilege to bring it into places of commerce, the family, friendships, workplaces, charities, educational institutions, and more.

From helping our child learn to pray in public, to evangelizing our workplace, to looking a homeless person in the eyes, the uniqueness of the lay vocation lies in its call to order the everyday things of this world to God so that all of life can be saturated with His abundant grace.

Lay Life in a Year Overview

Read the original: CFL Introduction, No. 9
Last week: The Laity Belong To The Church
This week: The Unique Character Of The Lay Faithful
Next week: The Front Lines of the Church

Week 25 : An Urgent Diagnosis

Jul 22, 2024

Imagine you go to a routine check up, and your doctor sits you down: “Look, you need to urgently change some things. In fact, I know you’re already taking some medicine and don’t want to hear this, but as I look at your bloodwork all the fundamental indicators are not...

Week 24 : Salt of the Earth

Jul 13, 2024

I didn’t grow up a Catholic, or even a Christian. So when I would hear my Christian friends say things like “that guy is salt of the earth” I never really understood what it meant or where it came from. But over time, I began to notice something. These “salt of the...

Week 23 : Identity and Mission of Lay Christians

Jul 6, 2024

Who are you supposed to be and what are you supposed to do? The answer is really the center of the entire document because it has the potential to change everything about our lives. John Paul II does not mince words: You cannot be a Christian and live just like...