![]() Their union with Christ is evident in a deepened awareness of the spiritual dimensions of life. 16) The Witness of Holy Livesĭuring the last fifteen years the Christian lay faithful have contributed greatly to the spiritual heritage of the Church, enlarging our understanding of what it means to be called to holiness, that is, to be called to "ever more intimate union with Christ" ( Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. Rom 6:22 Gal 5:22) stirs up every baptized person and requires each to follow and imitate Jesus Christ, in embracing the beatitudes, in listening and meditating on the Word of God, in conscious and active participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church, in personal prayer, in family or in community, in the hunger and thirst for justice, in the practice of the commandment of love in all circumstances of life and service to the brethren, especially the least, the poor and the suffering." "Life according to the Spirit, whose fruit is holiness (cf. We believe that the Church's path into a new millennium is marked by a faithful listening to the Spirit in the midst of God's people. In this statement we look back with gratitude upon the Second Vatican Council and prepare in hope for the third millennium. Moreover, we invite all members of the Church-lay men and women in secular life or consecrated life and the ordained-to continue the dialogue with one another and with us. Now, with the benefit of fifteen additional years of consulting the laity, we again address the whole Church, with a focus on the vocation and mission of lay persons. In Called and Gifted we addressed the whole Church but focused on the laity, inviting them to respond with "next words." In consultation, structured dialogue, correspondence, and reports, they did so with honesty and integrity. We also identify several challenges and suggest questions for individual and group reflection. Now, fifteen years after Called and Gifted, we take that statement's four "calls"-to holiness, to community, to mission and ministry, and to adulthood/Christian maturity-and update them in light of Church teaching, pastoral practice, and changing conditions in the world. In our pastoral statement Called and Gifted, we acknowledged and reflected upon the ways lay men and women were answering the Lord's call and employing their gifts to take an active and responsible part in the mission of the Church. In 1980 we bishops listened to the message of that same Holy Spirit. What is the Spirit saying to the world today through the Church in the United States, particularly through the lives of lay men and women? Through Jesus and in your Spirit, we make this prayer. Teach us how to grow in wisdom and grace and joy Remind us day after day of our baptismal call to serve, Make us a holy people, radiating the fullness of your love.įorm us into a community, a people who care, Of love and mercy, you call us to be your people, " sends them on the Church's apostolate, an apostolate that is one yet has different forms and methods, an apostolate that must all the time be adapting itself to the needs of the moment." -Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (No. Bishops Working Group on Youth & Young Adults.Directory of Lay Movements, Organizations, & Professional Associations.Mandate of the Committee of Laity, Marriage, Family Life, & Youth.Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium, 1995
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