THE P RTAL
January 2014
Page 6
The A - Z of the Catholic Faith
by Fr Stephen Wang
L is for…
Laity
The laity are sometimes defined by what
they are not: they are not clergy or members of a
religious order. Much more important, however, is
their specific vocation, which is to engage ‘in temporal
affairs’ and live their faith ‘in the world’.
The laity are called to be secular: not in the sense
of ‘secularised’ (worldly and disengaged from their
faith), but committed to building God’s kingdom in
the ordinary circumstances of life – in the family, the
workplace, politics, society; in their everyday activities
and relationships. As baptised people they bring the
presence of Christ and the Church into world.
Lay people share in Christ’s priestly office by uniting
every aspect of their lives to the sacrifice of Christ,
especially at the Eucharist, so that the world itself
is consecrated to God through them. They have a
prophetic role of proclaiming Christ by their witness
of life and by explicitly sharing their faith with others.
They share in Christ’s kingly office by resisting sin in
their own lives, working for justice and peace in society,
and creating a culture of life. Their call to holiness is
inseparable from the call to sanctify the world.
Often the lay faithful will take up a ministry within
the public life of the Church; they will cooperate
with the clergy to serve their ecclesial communities
in different ways; they will speak out on issues that
concern the good of the Church. Their particular
expertise or ‘competence’, however – their specific
vocation – comes from the call to be rooted in the
realities of the world.
Liturgy
The liturgy is the public, solemn worship of the
Church. It includes the celebration of the sacraments,
especially the Holy Eucharist, and other elements of
the Church’s formal worship such as the Liturgy of
the Hours (the Divine Office) and Benediction. It
is distinguished from popular devotions, personal
prayer, and other less formal spiritual activities.
The liturgy involves the worship of God and the
sanctification of his people. Through the liturgy we are
made one with Christ, and in particular with his paschal
mystery. The work of salvation is made present to us,
and Christ shares with us the fruits of redemption. This
is the summit of the activity of the Church, and the
source from which all her power flows.
The liturgy is always Trinitarian. Through the power
of the Holy Spirit, we are united with Jesus Christ who
died and rose for us, and lifted up to the Father in
worship, praise, thanksgiving and intercession.
The liturgy is always ecclesial, involving the whole
Church. It unites us with the angels and saints in the
worship of heaven, with the souls of purgatory, and
with the Church throughout the world. It deepens our
faith, strengthens our hope, and increases our desire
to reach out to others in love and charity.
Love
God is love. He created us through love. Our
deepest vocation is to love him and our neighbour –
even the stranger and the enemy. And our destiny is to
share in his love for all eternity.
Love is perhaps the most common human ‘experience’
and the most difficult to describe or understand. It
involves feelings, desires, decisions, commitments.
Sometimes it can seem like a free choice, sometimes
a burden.
There are different kinds of love: love for a friend,
a parent, a child, a sibling, a spouse, a country, a
community. W