Sep 3 Wed
How can an ordinary Christian be involved in the universal mission of the Church?
As part of the Church, ordinary Christians are called to foster a personal zeal to help others discover Christ.
"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and invited many people to his banquet. Here on earth, all souls are called to the great King's wedding feast, yet souls do not want to go. They reject the invitation, and the hall remains empty."
"Our Lord has prepared for us a fullness of Love: without betrayals, without getting tired, with all goodness and beauty."
"But they went off, one to his farm: to their selfishness, to their comfort. And another to his business: to their profession, which they did not know how to turn into a divine path on earth."
And the servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so, the wedding hall was filled with guests. We, too, must do as these servants did, and draw as many people as possible to the pathways of God.
"Wherever there are people capable of serving God, there must we be present, to lead them to Christ. We have to proclaim to them the great King's invitation: Everything is ready, come to the banquet. We must call many souls to dedicate themselves to work in the service of God."
"Opus Dei, St Josemaría wrote, constitutes a new fact in ecclesiastical history, while at the same time being as old as the Gospel itself." Although it is a path with its own distinct features within the Church, the Work is universal and provides Christians with a profound Catholic sense. Because of its emphasis on work as the proper material for our sanctification, our spirit is open to people of every age, race, and state in life: married and single, priests and laity, men and women, young and old. The universality of our spirit enables us to reach souls in every sphere of life. "We can well say, without boasting, that the Work of God has opened up all the divine pathways of the earth as a real vocation."
The knowledge that our personal vocation is a sharing in the Church's universal mission should lead us to feel a greater sense of responsibility.
"We will show that we are Catholics by the fruits of sanctity which we produce, for sanctity does not admit of frontiers, nor is it the patrimony of any particular group. We will show that we are Catholics if we pray, if we strive to talk with God at all times, if always, and in all things, we make an effort to be just (in the broadest sense of the word "justice", which nowadays is quite often used with a materialistic and erroneous connotation); if we love and defend the personal freedom of other men."
Our Blessed Mother, Queen of the Apostles, will obtain for us from her Son the holy "imprudence" we need to draw many souls close to his Son.