What is the Mission of the Laity?
The Church teaches that the lay faithful are those “who by baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the World.” So first and foremost, any baptized Christian can lay hold to the amazing claim, “yet I live no longer I, but Christ is living in me,” and be an instrument Jesus can powerfully to evangelize.
This vocation of the lay faithful to evangelization is awesome, as it calls them to infuse ordinary life with the New Wine of the Gospel. The Catechism says, “by reason of their special vocation it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God’s will.” A playful paraphrase of that passage of the Catechism could be, hey get out there – into the world – and mix it up, go get all up in the every-day affairs of the world with the Gospel!
The gift of the common priesthood is meant to flow through the life of the laity in evangelization. The Catechism beautifully describes the graces of the laity’s share in the priestly life of Christ:
Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit – indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born – all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord. And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives.
The connection between the laity doing everything they do in the Spirit, and “worshipping everywhere by their holy actions” is amazing! Worship is both a specific action, and a lifestyle. We must take time to worship the Lord, acknowledging God’s goodness and praising God. But a whole life ordered towards the Lord, and lived intentionally for the Lord, is a whole life of worship. As the laity live like this, they are saturating the world with the goodness of God, which is the prime soil needed to plant and harvest the seeds of the Gospel.
With a mission to seek first the kingdom of God in everything, the laity share in the prophetic life of Christ, who always listened to the voice of the Father. A prophet is one who hears from God and bears witness to what they have heard from God! Made in God’s image and likeness, we are, as I once heard Bishop Robert Barron say, “wired for revelation.” The operating system is there, and when we enter into a relationship with God, the operating system is synced, you could say, or plugged in – and the gift of hearing the voice of the Lord is ours, and it’s a gift to which we have potentially 24/7 access.
As members of the Body of Christ, the laity bring the presence of the Lord far and wide. It is a game-changer when you have a prophetic ear, asking the Lord who he wants you to engage, what relationships to build, what insights he wants you to have in various situations. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we can walk around with a “transmitter of heaven” inside of us, so let’s be sure to keep working with Him, keeping the transmitter in good working order!
The prophetic witness is about showing Jesus to the world by how we live. It is also about continuing to hear the voice of the Lord for ourselves and for the world around us, and sharing the presence of God through the infectious love of heaven that flows from a heart, mind, and voice in union with God. We teach and preach with our lives and with what we do and say. As St. Thomas Aquinas puts it, “To teach in order to lead others to faith is the task of every preacher and of each believer.”
There’s a passion for happiness, wellness and wholeness that sparks various desires in us. In advertising, you arouse desire by showing and explaining to people that this or that thing will bring happiness. Take an expensive watch for example. Oftentimes, a commercial depicts someone who is sharp, successful, happy and healthy who seems to have it all … including this watch. Behind the watch being sold is a lifestyle image that subtly promises happiness.
Now, as we participate in the kingship of Christ in our lives … we’ve got a lifestyle to display that is out of this world. It’s a “kingdom lifestyle” where we walk clothed with the royal dignity of our identity as a son or daughter of God. Putting on, as St. Paul says, the adornments of a disposition and countenance that is heavenly, and cultivating virtues in our lives that help us to live well in God’s presence — that’s reigning with Christ in your life!
The Church says it like this, “By virtue of their kingly mission, lay people have the power to uproot the rule of sin within themselves and in the world, by their self-denial and holiness of life.” It comes down to power, the power of the Holy Spirit that all disciples of Christ have been given and that the laity use to let their lives be under the reign of Christ the King, listening to God’s voice and showing God’s presence to the world through their holy (priestly) lives. When this happens, the kingdom lifestyle is on display, and there’s no happier life, no more attractive advertisement that could be made than by being a joyful son or daughter of God, overflowing with the Holy Spirit in everything you do and say.
The mission to make disciples of all nations is a gargantuan task and can be intimidating. But knowing that you have been given the very presence of God to reside in you through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, reminds you that there are incredible blessings at hand to accomplish your assignment! It comes down to this regarding my decision to evangelize or not: will I allow God to clothe me with power, to fill me with love … and let me burst through any temptation to live a “normal” life in favor of the life of those who left the upper room on Pentecost morning? The Lord has a plan for us to flourish on mission in the midst of living our vocations.
None of this is ordinary, and thank God, because who wants to live a boring life? I mean, even the 87-year-old grandmother who sits in her chair and picks up her rosary isn’t bored! She knows that she’s about to shake the gates of hell and terrify demons with her intercessory prayer for her family, friends and neighbors. God poured fire into your heart when you were baptized, and strengthened it when you were confirmed. We were enlisted in the mission, and when we truly accept it, it creates both a confidence and a hunger, knowing we need more of God in our lives … day after day. … This whole life in Christ, living on mission, runs on Grace.