June 16, 2011 – Catechism 897-900

Here we have the description of the importance of the lay people of God, those that are not the ordained. The most important activity of the lay people is their effect on the world around them. Those ordained to serve the Church have a particular duty, but are often seen as not a part of the world. The lay person is a part of the community around them and has the duty to take their faith and spread it to the world around them by living that faith in their everyday lives. The ordained serve the lay people and in response the lay people are to serve the world and therefore transform the world. The ordained cannot transform the world, nor is it their vocation to do so, without the lay person. Much like a person is not convinced by outside advice as much as they are convinced by experience, so the world is not convinced by the preaching of the ordained, but by the witnessing of the lay person living out their vocation.

That is why it is troubling when you hear about the number of Catholics that are Catholic by name alone and really do not believe or live by the teachings of the Church. That leads the world to see the Church as an example of hypocrisy and weakness and is not persuaded or convinced by actually turns further away from the Church. Many may believe the it is the responsibility of the ordain to preach to the world, but it is our responsibility to do so. The fact that the lay people are weak in their faith may be contributed to the weakness of the ordained because that is their responsibility, but that does not take away our responsibility to share our faith with the world.