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

Read the original: CFL Introduction, No. 27
Last week: From Cranberry Cookies to the Eucharistic Family
This week: Overlooked at the Parish?
Next week: How to Mow With Our Body and Soul

Week 41 – This Is The Moment for Re-Evangelization!

Nov 10, 2024

Pope Benedict XVI tells a story about a clown who runs into a village, crying out that the circus is on fire. He jumps, shouts, and pleads for help—but the more he yells, the more they laugh. They can’t see beyond his costume, so they ignore him. Then comes the punch...

Week 40 – Every Disciple Is Called By Name

Nov 3, 2024

This week I want to do something a little different. We’ve talked A LOT about being called. We’ve said that the laity is called to: the universal call to holiness evangelize and sanctify the secular participate in our parish and help build up the Church But if we...

Week 39 – The Mission of the Church

Oct 27, 2024

I think we've all been there—sitting through a homily when the "mission appeal" part comes up. Our minds drift, we hear the familiar phrases—“mission,” “help the poor,” “time, talent, treasure,” “spread the faith…” —and yet sometimes, it feels like the message gets...