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 38 – How to Respond to a Divided World

Oct 20, 2024

Division is something that seems to grow more each day. Nations, families, and relationships seem to be falling apart. In my own life, I have struggled to find something to hold on to. In weathering the storm, I often find myself grasping for anything to keep me...

Week 37- A Response to Busyness

Oct 13, 2024

In a meeting with my pastor about our parish, he said: “If we don’t fix things, the bishop will close this parish. We have to get more young families engaged.” Caught off guard and growing in concern, I asked him what activities the parish was currently doing....

Week 36 – An Unexpected Discovery from 1979

Oct 6, 2024

When I was a kid, my dad was obsessed with one particular VHS tape—it was like some secret treasure from the past. He held it out with a grin and said, “Now I’ll show you what basketball is supposed to look like.” It was the 1979 NCAA championship game—Larry Bird vs....