Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

Week 34: Overlooked at the Parish?

Do you ever feel like your dedication to the parish is taken for granted?

As we get involved at our local Church, we find disregard more frequently than appreciation as we give our time, talent, and treasure.  After pouring in our heart and soul, we are left unnoticed.

St. John Paul II doesn’t gloss over this experience of neglect. Instead of sweeping it under the rug, he took a bold step and reaffirmed the necessary and unique role of laity. He declared that our activity within the Church, “is so necessary that without it,” the priest’s own vocation falls apart. Without our engagement, the very structure of a parish grinds to a halt.

As parishioners , it is essential to engage and lend our talents so that the Church may grow. Without us, the Church is left dead and barren.

It’s our calling to build a vibrant, welcoming community—a “village fountain”—where everyone can quench their thirst for fellowship and faith.

How does this sense of community help our own individual holiness? Next week, St. John Paul II breaks down our own personal calling!

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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