They offer their skills and talents to help others in everyday life.
We see this in everyday life, particularly in hospitals and schools where many people have chosen to work so that they can help other people. One of the vicars at St James’s Church in Weybridge gave up a lucrative job in the City of London to train, as a vicar because he felt it was a more worthwhile way of life.
Lay people are called to defend Christ’s teaching through Hope, Prayer, Faith and Love
They stand up and defend the church against all those who oppose it,
” All who are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of them on the last day.” Mark 8v34-38 Many early Christians were martyred for their beliefs and even today in some parts of the world people are prosecuted for spreading the teachings of Jesus Christ. In Afghanistan the Taliban have imprisoned aide workers whom they suspect have been preaching Christianity.
“Love your neighbour as you love yourself.” Mark 12v33-34
Lay people help those in need by providing houses for the homeless and helping those with alcohol or drug problems. For example members of the Salvation Army have provided warmth, shelter and food for the homeless for many years. In my own area members of the congregation of the Wey Christian Fellowship have been helping street children in South America.
“If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest, and if one of you wants to be first he must be your slave.” Matthew 20v24-28
Lay people don’t help the rich or those who don’t need their help. They help the ones who are in trouble and need their company. Jesus set an example of this.
“People who are well don’t need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have not come to all respectable people to repent, but outcasts.”
They obey the church’s rules and teachings.
“Teach them everything I have commanded you, and I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28v20
They are to be kind, generous and good Christians.
“Do onto others as you would want them to do onto you.”
Lay people support the priest by prayer, helping at communion and reading at mass, they can also cooperate in presenting the word of God to the parish by instructing others or by joining one of the organisations connected to the church.
Lay people can also help within the church by contributing any special skills they may have for example a trained accountant could help with the church accounts and a builder could help with church repairs. Mrs Kenny, a teacher at the junior school uses her experience with children to run a youth club at the local church. Other people can help members of the church by sharing their problems with them.
I asked my father, a member of our local church,
“How do you contribute to your church and fulfil your vocation?” he answered,
“ I try to fulfil my vocation by following Christian teachings in all aspects of my life, and helping those less fortunate then myself.”
I also asked my sister how she has contributed to a Christian way of life and she said,
“ This year I accompanied a group of disabled men and women on a pilgrimage to Lourdes.” This is an example of a person who isn’t a priest or a bishop but is playing a role of a layperson in the church.
“Bring the good news to the poor.” Luke 4v8
CAFOD are an example of people voluntarily going out to poor countries and providing relief for the people living there. CAFOD make a link between the continents of Asia Africa and Latin America and the people who wish to help then back at home. Some of the works CAFOD do are:
Community development
Food production
Water supplies and irrigation
Penetrative medicine
Vocational training
Adult education
CAFOD operate because it believes all people should be equal in the sight of God. They also believe that human dignity demands a reasonable standard of living and people all need basic food, housing, education and clothing.
Lay people use the beatitudes as a guideline to reach discipleship and to become closer to God:
“Happy are the poor in spirit.” Matthew 5v3 Lay people don’t show off that they are holy, they are discreet but God knows they are true believers.
“Happy are those who mourn” Matthew 5v4 Lay people mourn for others and show respect to the friends and family of those who have died.
“Happy are those who are humble.” Matthew 5v5 Lay people put others before them selves and don’t aim to be great and powerful.
“Happy are the merciful.” Matthew 5v7 Lay people are merciful to others and forgive anyone who they have fallen out with.
“Happy are those who are pure in heart.” Matthew 5v8 Lay people should be true believers, they shouldn’t pretends, if they do believe in Christ then God will reward them.
“Happy are those who work for peace.” Matthew 5v9 Lay people spread peace in the world and try to prevent violence and corruption.
“Happy for those who are prosecuted for doing what God requires.” Matthew 5v10 If you are sent to prison or in trouble for doing what God wants then you are a true lay person and God will reward you in Heaven.
Lay people have a duty to serve others and to help those in need. They must stand up for the church and what God taught them. For example Mother Teresa spent her whole life helping people in India because she knew what she was doing was right. People like Mother Teresa are examples for all people. Although mother Teresa was a member of a religious order, she is an example to all Lay People. “Love your God.” Lay people follow this by using their talents to love and help everyone around them
Ordained ministries
To join your ordained ministry is another way to serve as a Christian disciple. A lot of thought must be given before someone decides to join the ordained ministry because it involves a lifetime of devotion to God,
“ Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” Matthew 4v19 Like the disciples many sacrifices have to be made to become a member of the ordained ministry, you must not have any sexual relationships or get married. This is because being in the ordained ministry requires total love for God and members can put all their energy into doing God’s work.
The first stage is when a man becomes a deacon. Deacons appear in close association with bishops. As the deaconate developed in the early Church, the deacon became the bishop's assistant, responsible only to him and ordained by him alone. He embodies or represents the servant ministry of Christ. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the liturgical functions of the deacon involve helping or serving the celebrant.
The next step is to become a priest. The priest is especially consecrated to the service of a God and through who worship and prayer is offered to God. In the Roman Catholic Church the priest is a member of the sacerdotal ministry. The priest has the power to celebrate Mass and to administer the sacraments, except holy orders (reserved for the bishop), matrimony (administered to one another by the couple and witnessed by the priest), and confirmation (usually performed by a bishop).
The next step for some is to become a bishop In the Roman, a bishop is an ecclesiastic who, through sacramental consecration, holds special powers of the ministry as well as special administrative prerogatives. Consecration to the order of bishop is usually performed by three bishops (one of them a metropolitan), this number having been customary from post apostolic times. The bishop is supreme ecclesiastical ruler of the diocese over which he presides. He is responsible for the spiritual welfare of all the faithful, both clergy and laity, and for the government of all ecclesiastical institutions within his diocese. He has the power to ordain bishops, priests, and deacons. He is the ordinary minister of the sacrament of confirmation.
The next step is to become an archbishop. Archbishop have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province. He superintends certain activities of the other bishops in his province and also exercises Episcopal authority in his own diocese. In the Roman Catholic Church, archbishops occupy certain important sees and enjoy limited provincial authority
The next step is to become a cardinal. The cardinals are appointed by the pope and constitute the Sacred College. The pope is not obliged to consult them, but does so as a matter of course. Their number has varied at different times; in 1586 Pope Sixtus V fixed it at 70. The cardinals are chief members of the Sacred Congregations of the papal government. They meet in consistory, or assembly, over which the pope presides. Cardinals are limited in their duties according to age; like other high prelates, they are expected to retire at the age of 75 from administrative duties. At 80 they are no longer permitted to serve as papal electors.
The next step is to become a pope, Pope, in Latin, papa, from the Greek pappas, meaning “father”, a Christian Besides the designation pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also holds these titles: vicar of Christ; successor of St Peter; supreme pontiff of the universal Church; patriarch of the West; primate of Italy; archbishop and metropolitan of the Roman province; sovereign of the State of Vatican City; and servant of the servants of God.
“ Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires.” Matthew 5v10 People in the ordained ministry help others in the church and out of the church by standing up and defending the church and listening and acting out everything God wanted us to do.
Religious Orders
Another way of serving as a disciple is by joining a religious order or congregation. There are two types of religious orders, Apostolic and Contemplative. Joining either of these orders requires total devotion to God and confinement. Living a life of celibacy is hard for the brothers and sisters but they believe that they will be rewarded in heaven, “Happy are those who are pure in heart, they will see God.” Matthew 5v8
Religious orders are consecrated to three vows; these are poverty, chastity and obedience.
Poverty means to have the bare minimum and live like Jesus did. An example of this is the rich young man,
“You must give up all of your possessions and follow me,” This story tells us not to be corrupt with money and possessions.
Chastity means not to have a sexual relationship with anyone. This is so people can focus on following God. An example of this is when Jesus said,
“Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” Matthew 4v19
The disciples left their families and homes to follow Jesus.
Obedience means to obey priests, bishops and the pope. An example of this is in the commission,
“Teach them to obey everything I have taught you.” This tells us to obey Gods teachings and all who work for God.
Apostolic orders are the first type of religious orders. They live a life of voluntary community work. They tend the sick and old and care for the homeless.
“You should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil on them in the name of the lord.” This is an inspiration to apostolic orders to heal the sick and is the reason for the sacrament, anointing of the sick. Examples of apostolic orders are Notre Dame, Brothers of the Christian Schools and mother Teresa. Brothers of the Christian Schools, religious community, commonly called Christian Brothers, established by the French educator St John Baptist de la Salle, at Reims in 1680 and sanctioned by Pope Benedict XIII in 1725. The brothers take the religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, plus two vows peculiar to their institute: service to the poor through education and fidelity to their institute. They do not, however, enter holy orders. In the mid-1980s community residences numbered more than 1,250 throughout the world. About 10,000 brothers taught approximately 800,000 pupils.
Contemplative orders are the second type of religious orders. Their lives are a journey to God in prayer and worship in solitude, silence and community. Examples of contemplative orders are Carmelites, Poor Clares and Carthusians.The Carthusians were a monastic order founded by St Bruno, who in 1084 retired with six companions to the solitude of the valley of Chartreuse, near Grenoble. There they lived as hermits, wearing poor clothing and eating vegetables and coarse bread. After the order received
Papal approbation in 1170, it expanded rapidly. It dates from 1180 in England, where the name Chartreuse Houses was corrupted into Charter Houses. The order is now conducted under the rules approved in 1682 by Pope Innocent XI.
The Carthusians were divided into two classes, fathers and lay brothers. Each father occupied a separate cell, with a bed of straw, a pillow, a woollen coverlet, and the tools for manual labour or for writing. Monks left their cells only on festivals and on days of the funeral of a brother of the order. Three times a week they fasted on bread, water, and salt, and several long fasts were observed during the year. Meat was forbidden at all times and so was wine, unless it was mixed with water. Unbroken silence was enforced except on rare occasions.
As Peter and Paul gave up their homes and families to follow Jesus, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” Matthew 4v19
Members of religious orders give up their homes and families to serve God in prayer and worship and in community service to fulfill their vocation.
By Thomas Kee
