An Apostolic Laity Essential

[MariaChristi]

… the essential idea of apostleship is an intense interest in the welfare and the work of the Church, and such interest there can hardly be without some feeling of participation. Thus the apostolic organisation is a mould which produces apostles.

Wherever these qualities of apostleship are not sedulously cultivated, it is certain that the next generation will have a serious problem to face in the lack of all real interest in the Church, and of all sense of responsibility. Out of this infantile Catholicism what good can come? And where is its safety but in a complete calm? History teaches that such a nerveless flock is readily stampeded even unto the destruction of its own pastors, or else, that it is devoured by the first fierce pack of wolves which comes upon the scene. Bl. John Henry Newman states it as a principle that “in all times the laity have been the measure of the Catholic spirit.”

… There is a danger that we lay folk may identify the Church with the clergy and religious, to whom God has certainly given what we too exclusively call a vocation. We are unconsciously tempted to regard the rest of us as an anonymous crowd who have a chance of being saved if we perform the prescribed minimum. We forget that our Lord calls his own sheep by name (Jn 10:3); that — in the words of St. Paul (Gal 2:20), who, like us, was not physically present on Calvary — ‘the Son of God loved me and gave himself up for me’. Each of us, even if he be only a village carpenter as was Jesus himself or a humble housekeeper like his mother, has a vocation, is called individually by God to give him his or her love and service, to do a particular work which others may indeed surpass but cannot replace. No one but myself can give my heart to God or do my work… he or she has something to be and to do for God; religion is no longer a side- issue, it becomes the inspiration of one’s life, however humanly commonplace. And this conviction of personal vocation inevitably creates an apostolic spirit, the desire to carry on Christ’s work, to be another Christ, to serve him in the least of his brethren…

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The words quoted above are taken from pages 59-60 of the Legion of Mary Handbook, read yesterday at our regular weekly meeting and discussed. I wanted to share it on the Spirituality Forum because it is so truly a call to all Catholics.

We in the lay state can think we are not “spiritual” enough and in one sense, we can be right. As Pope Francis has pointed out to the entire Church (clergy and people) we can be too worldly. But in another sense we can think only priests and religious are “really spiritual” and we are not called to be so “spiritual” – and in that sense we would be wrong because ALL are called to holiness. All of us are called to grow in our vocation to be holy and become the unique saint each is called to be. Each has a personal call to love.

By God’s grace we can “live the Gospel”, bringing Jesus into the world by our lives, and not merely by words. Sometimes words are necessary but if we do not live the Truth, then our words count for nothing. We cannot speak the Truth lovigly if we do not know and love Jesus ourselves. We cannot give what we do not have.

Legion Handbook is online HERE