Feb 12 Wed
Should the lay people participate directly in the mission of the Church?
Christians constitute “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation … once you were no people but now you are God’s people” (1 Pt 2:9–10).
This people of God has been established by Christ as a communion of life, love, and truth, it is taken up by Him, and sent forth into the whole world, as the instrument for the salvation of all; as the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:18–20). This command of Christ applies to all the members of his Mystical Body.
In the Church, there is a diversity of ministries, but there is only one aim: the sanctification of all. And all Christians participate in some way in this task, through the character imprinted by the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.
We must all feel responsible for the mission of the Church, which is the mission of Christ. The fulfillment of the Church's mission is called apostolate; its object is to spread the kingdom of Christ all over the world for the glory of God the Father.
The hierarchy serves the mission of the whole Church. Its mission is to be the instrument of Christ, the head of the Church. Thus, the task proper to the hierarchy is to organize and watch over the fulfillment of the mission of the entire Church.
All members of the Church must share in the apostolate –guided by the bishops and the pope– according to their status in the Church. The Second Vatican Council asserted the participation of each Christian –specifically of the laity– in the common mission of the Church.
The apostolate of the laity is a sharing in the salvific mission of the Church. Through Baptism and Confirmation, all are appointed to this apostolate by the Lord himself.
The pastors, indeed, know well how much the laity contributes to the welfare of the entire Church. They know that they themselves were not established by Christ to undertake alone the whole salvific mission of the Church to the world, but that it is their exalted office so to be shepherds of the faithful. They also recognize the lay people’s contribution and charisms; thus, everyone in his way will cooperate in the common task, with one mind.
Hence:
• The mission of the entire Church and that of the hierarchy are not identical, just as the words Church and hierarchy are not synonymous.
• The Church’s mission falls squarely on the shoulders of all her members. In contrast, the mission of the hierarchy –a particular aspect of the mission of the Church– is carried out only by the members of the hierarchy and those members of the people of God who are authorized and qualified to help them.
• The mission of the laity is not merely a participation in the mission of the hierarchy, but it is a participation in the mission of the Church.
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