B
BarbTh
Guest
Both Christifideles Laici and Lumen Gentium are important documents for certainly (but not only) Laity to read, whether single or married.
christifideles laici “Vocationand Mission of the Lay Faithful in The Church and in The World” w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_30121988_christifideles-laici.html "
the “world” thus becomes the place and the means for the lay faithful to fulfill their christian vocation, because the world itself is destined to glorify god the father in christ. The council is able then to indicate the proper and special sense of the** divine vocation **which is directed to the lay faithful…
…the image introduces us to another aspect of the newness of christian life coming from baptism and described by the second vatican council: “by regeneration and the anointing of the holy spirit, **the baptized are consecrated **into a spiritual house”
… Thus as worshipers whose every deed is holy, the lay faithful consecrate the world itself to God"
lumen gentium “Dogmatic Constitiution on The Church” vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
**the baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the holy spirit, are consecrated **as a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, in order that through all those works which are those of the christian man they may offer spiritual sacrifices and proclaim the power of him who has called them out of darkness into his marvelous light.(102) therefore all the disciples of christ, persevering in prayer and praising god,(103) should present themselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to god.(104) everywhere on earth they must bear witness to christ and give an answer to those who seek an account of that hope of eternal life which is in them.(105)
the image (“living stones” and “spiritual house”)introduces us to another aspect of the newness of christian life coming from baptism and described by the second vatican council: “by regeneration and the anointing of the holy spirit, the baptized are consecrated into a spiritual house”
… Thus as worshipers whose every deed is holy, the lay faithful consecrate the world itself to God"
Christifideles Laici
All quotations above come from:
- It is no exaggeration to say that the entire existence of the lay faithful has as its purpose to lead a person to a knowledge of the radical newness of the Christian life that comes from Baptism, the sacrament of faith, so that this knowledge can help that person live the responsibilities which arise from that vocation received from God. In arriving at a basic description of the lay faithful we now more explicitly and directly consider among others the following three fundamental aspects: Baptism regenerates us in the life ot the Son of God; unites us to Christ and to his Body, the Church; and anoints us in the Holy Spirit, making us spiritual temples.