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Lay Vocation Is Irreplaceable
Below is an article from ZENIT on the lay vocation. Too often not much is said about lay vocations. Some even equate “vocation” only with religious or ordained life. The truth is, however, we all have a vocation. I recently read this piece and wanted to share it with you.
Lay Vocation Is Irreplaceable, Says Archbishop
President of Laity Council Speaks of Important Role
ROME, JULY 2, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The laity are on the front lines and irreplaceable in the work of evangelization, said Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko.
The president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity made this statement Saturday during a Mass at the Basilica of St. John Lateran for the participants of a five-day lay ministries meeting organized by the Lay Center at Foyer Unitas in Rome, and the U.S. episcopal conference.
The conference was titled “Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord: Laity in the Church Yesterday and Today.”
Quoting theologian Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Archbishop Rylko said: “To be a lay Christian in the Church is precisely a vocation, in fact, it is the most important calling.
“The uniqueness of the lay vocation consists in the fact of being a Christian while living immersed in the world.”
“This vocation is derived from the sacrament of baptism,” the 61-year-old prelate explained in his homily.
Archbishop Rylko stated: “The laity have their particular responsibility for the life of the Christian community in the local Church. It is an essential, great and beautiful vocation!”
He added, however, that “to be a lay Christian in the world today is not easy.”
“The world tries to contain God exclusively in the private sphere of the individual,” the archbishop continued, while “the appropriate autonomy of the secular order is often confused with a militant secularism that seeks to eliminate God from public life.”
“To be a lay Christian in our times requires courage,” the archbishop said, continuing, “because of this, it is extremely important to not forget that being Christian is a vocation: God himself calls us and sends us into the world.”
Archbishop Rylko affirmed that a lay “vocation is a gratuitous gift of God, who selects us and calls us without our meriting it.”
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It’s really hopeful to hear the bishops discuss the lay vocation…
Well, it is about time! Should have a day in the Church to celebrate this extraordinary vocation alongside those days to celebrate consecrated lives and cloistered vocations. We are just as important and the idea is we should all work hand in hand in God’s name and for God’s glory!
I think that it is time the laity are publicly recognized for the valuable work that they do within ‘the church’. Without these ultra committed parishoners, most congregations would cease to function as communities.
It is exactly these people who ‘fill in the gaps’. When we examine the extra-ordinarily high minister/preacher/ordained to congregant ratio in most churches is painfully obvious that even the best equipped ordained cannot possibly tend to the needs of their flock without help.
As the numbers entering ordained life continue to fall across all religions the churches will have to accept the increased role of volunteers within their systems. The first step is to acknowledge how important they are.
I think it is good to be reminded of the importance of my role as a lay Christian. I fear, however, that this reminder is not so much for those who have already accepted the responsiblity as Lay Christians, but as a call to those who do not see the value in their time and talent to their parish community. Too many are still sitting in the pews assuming someone else will do it. All need to know that their contribution to their Christian community is valuable no matter what the task. We all need to have that affirmation, but I guess some still need to be invited to share in this ministry.
Sometimes they have not been approached ‘in the right way’.
For example, some people would not be comfortable being part of the service, but would be willing to mow the lawn… or help the secretary organize things or get caught up on filing or maybe even messing with a web page. I was proactive about finding these opportunities, but many times people were amazed that they needed done or that they could volunteer to do them.”I thought someone took care of that…” was a frequent refrain. Our group created a list with who to contact and it was placed in the bulletin asking if anyone was interested in these “Pick a Project”. I am glad I had pen and paper ready because we had 20 people come up after the service to “Pick a Project”. Two ladies even decided to share one because they both wanted to do it. One woman contacted me later to add a project to the list and volunteer for it! (She said she was tired of “those 70′s wild prints on the chairs in the ladies room” and reupholstered them.)
It was a way of letting people know that there are specific things to be done and often it’s easier to get someone to agree to a project then a amount of time or some nebulous ‘sometime’.
I am probably not telling any of you things you don’t know, but I wanted to make sure. It works really well, or at least it did for us. Not everyone ever volunteered again, but several did on an odd occasion and a couple are probably still regular volunteers.
Blessings!
I thought the good Archbishop had more in mind that helping with the local church service and mowing the lawn — although these are good and necessary contributions. I thought he was referring to our being totally Christian in the way we carry out every minute of our lives — being good Christian parents and children, good Christian teachers, good Christian bus drivers, good Christian waitresses, good Christian stock brokers, good Christian nurses, good Christian lawyers! It is living our lives in such a way that our faith is apparent to all from the manner in which we love our fellow human beings.
I think it is a little of both, Barbara. In a very real and practical way, lay people are called to see every aspect of their lives a reflection of the Christ. That means their relationships, work, family, and yes, even mowing the lawn. Cathy and RhC noted the importance of not only being good Christians in the world but also of being active supporters of and participants in one’s own community (i.e., one’s parish, prayer group, school, bible study, church committee, etc.). I think people don’t always know how to be involved in their community or in the world as a “minister” because that has always been the domain of “the priests and nuns”. Well that’s not the case. We need to do so much more to support our lay ministers (all those whose presence, words and deeds are ministering to others) and to help each person realize his or her vocation.
P.S. I like the idea of having a Lay Life (or Lay Vocation) Day!
Celebrating lay vocation is a great idea! Perhaps it would also serve to encourage more folks to participate. It seems in most parishes there are the paid staff and then a fairly small group of lay volunteers who work almost as much as the paid staff! It would be wonderful if every parishioner (aside from those who are ill, etc.) could chip in a little bit. This way we’d all feel more connected and there would be a much lower level of volunteer burnout.
deerose
As a new Catholic (my husband and I were just confirmed this year) I have to say I can’t attest more emphatically to the power of the lives of the laity. My journey started watching the conversions and changed lives of two of my coworkers, my watching closely the lives of others I knew were Catholic–and my desire for the spiritual life they lived. Add their openness to answering my questions, and I began attending mass last summer. My point is, I never would have GOTTEN to the place where the priests with an “official” vocation could minister to me if it hadn’t been for lay people! Of course, ordained priests brought us along our faith journey in RCIA and with wonderful spiritual advising… but we never would have gotten their had it not been for lay Catholics who cared enough to live their faith and draw others to the Church.