Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

Week 5: The Urgent Issue of Secularism

Everyday life is filled with extreme challenges and temptations. Our culture is surrounded by sexual exploitation, unhealthy lies about how to live, and everywhere there is rage, anxiety, and despair.

This is the reality of secularism.

But the laity is called to more than just complaining and hiding away. To be a lay person is to take on the task of bringing Christ to a world that has forgotten all about Him.

Do you realize that you are called to evangelization? That, in a world that has forgotten all about God and His love, it is our responsibility to remind them? Even if it’s uncomfortable or hard. Even if it means being ignored, ostracized, or persecuted.

Jesus wants to send us out on mission everyday to fight the darkness in our culture by bringing Him to our schools, jobs, families, friends, and neighborhoods.

He doesn’t ask us to do this through some perfect program or long-term plan.

He just wants us to remind every person we know that He loves them.

Lay Life in a Year Overview

Read the original: Introduction, No. 4
Last week: Why Do You Stand Here Idle?
This week: The Urgent Issue Of Secularism In The World
Next week: Secularism In The Church

Week 32: We are the last line…of space heaters?

Sep 6, 2024

Last winter, I set up space heaters in the basement. I go down there every so often and it is just so cold. I was determined to heat up the space. Successfully, with 5 space heaters plugged in, I looked around, content with my work...until the breaker tripped and I...

Week 31: Polly Pocket Cruise Ship

Sep 1, 2024

When my wife was a kid, there was one year when the only thing she wanted for her birthday was a Polly Pocket cruise ship toy. I recently learned this was the single greatest present any 8 year old girl could get circa 2008. Well, a few weeks later a family friend...

Week 30 : Maybe the Church is just like everything else?

Aug 25, 2024

Early in my conversion I was afraid to go to Mass. I was scared I would feel isolated. But when I learned about the Church as the Body of Christ I realized that Catholic community was completely different from the world’s idea of community. So I got up the courage,...