Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

Week 22 : Responsible for the Church’s Mission

Have you ever told God no? 

Moses did. He tried to get out of going to Egypt and came up with all sorts of excuses. Faced with the weight of this responsibility he began to panic:

“Who am I?”

“What do I tell them?”

“Suppose they don’t believe me or listen to me?”

“I am slow of speech and tongue.”

“Send someone else!”

Maybe Moses doesn’t feel relatable, though? Maybe we think, “He had a big mission; I don’t”

But actually, we do! Each one of us participates in the biggest mission of all—the mission of the Church. John Paul II tells us that the lay faithful share a responsibility for the Church’s mission with ordained ministers and religious. 

Each one of us has our own little piece; we all have a part to play. There is a piece that only you can do. And the sooner we give the Lord our yes and take it on with complete abandonment, the sooner the Church benefits.  

The Church is waiting for you just as the Israelites waited in Egypt for Moses. Your role matters. Your responsibility matters. The task that God has given to you matters. 

And if you don’t do it, who will?

Lay Life in a Year Overview

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Week 47 – A Dominican and A Fortune Cookie

In college, I once went to a Chinese restaurant with a Dominican priest.  I was part of a group that brought Catholic speakers to campus, and after one talk, Father graciously joined us for dinner. When the waiter brought out fortune cookies, Father began unwrapping...

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Week 46 – Holiness Found in Work

​​This nation was built by tireless, hardworking people—a spirit of determination we’ve proudly inherited. There’s a lot of goodness in that. But sometimes, without realizing it, this work ethic can lead us to a dangerous trap: believing our worth comes from how much...

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Week 45 – Human Dignity Can Never Be Taken Away!

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a pilgrimage to Rome, unsure what I was looking for—peace, clarity, maybe both. But as God often does, He surprised me. I met a priest who shared something that cut through the noise of life: no matter what divides us—politics,...

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