Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

Week 42 – The Missing Piece to Passing on the Faith

There have been times when I’ve tried so hard to share my faith but felt like I was missing something.

I wasn’t sure where I was going wrong until I had a conversation with my older sister. She helped me see that I wanted to follow God, but I wasn’t giving it my all—I wasn’t running after Jesus with my whole heart. 

That’s when everything started to click.

In Christifideles Laici , Pope John Paul II shares an important message: if we want to share our faith with others, we first need to let Jesus into every part of our own lives.

We have to take responsibility for how we respond to God’s call. That doesn’t mean we do it all on our own—it’s God’s grace that helps us —but we do have to say “Yes” and take action by following Him.

It’s not just about doing religious practices or learning facts—it’s about encountering Jesus and doing what He asks of us…making the choice to follow Him every day. It’s kind of like my sister encouraged me to do—respond to God’s call with your whole heart.

And starting small is okay! Praying a few minutes here and there, living out a life of service with the parish, and bringing the Faith back into the home by talking about our deep love for Christ.

When we take that step to follow Jesus, others will see how being close to God makes a difference in our lives and will be inspired to do the same.

Slowly, we’ll start transforming our families, our friends, and even our communities—all because we’ve said Yes to Jesus.

When we live our faith authentically—personally— the Church gets stronger, and the fire of the Holy Spirit spreads like wildfire, inflaming everyone around us!

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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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