Lay Life in a Year

52 Reflections on JPII's vision for the Laity

Thank you!

Thank you for signing up for our weekly reflections from JPII on the mission and vocation of laity. Every Monday morning you’ll receive the next reflection via email; you can catch up on any that you may have missed below.

You can also share this content with anyone who may be interested in it, by sharing the link below!

Read Past Reflections

Week 38 – How to Respond to a Divided World

Division is something that seems to grow more each day. Nations, families, and relationships seem to be falling apart. In my own life, I have struggled to find something to hold on to. In weathering the storm, I often find myself grasping for anything to keep me...

read more

Week 37- A Response to Busyness

In a meeting with my pastor about our parish, he said: “If we don’t fix things, the bishop will close this parish. We have to get more young families engaged.”  Caught off guard and growing in concern, I asked him what activities the parish was currently doing....

read more

Week 36 – An Unexpected Discovery from 1979

When I was a kid, my dad was obsessed with one particular VHS tape—it was like some secret treasure from the past. He held it out with a grin and said, “Now I’ll show you what basketball is supposed to look like.”  It was the 1979 NCAA championship game—Larry Bird vs....

read more

Week 35: Answering God’s Call—Even in the Small Things

It was a regular Wednesday—sun shining, birds chirping—and there I was: 15 years old, grumbling as I stood over the lawnmower. Mom had asked me to mow the lawn, and like most teenagers, I dragged my feet. The job seemed pointless and hot, and honestly, I’d rather be...

read more

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...

read more

Week 33: From Cranberry Cookies to the Eucharistic Family

We often hear phrases like "family of God" and "a welcoming home." But what do these truly look like in our daily lives? What is their deeper meaning? My grandma ‘s cookies were an acquired taste–cranberries, pecans, and unusual spices. Initially, I didn’t like them...

read more

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

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...

read more

Week 31: Polly Pocket Cruise Ship

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...

read more

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

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,...

read more