Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church

by Russell Shaw

DISCOVER AND LIVE YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE THROUGH YOUR LAY VOCATION!

The Church’s mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone. As lay disciples of the Savior, our shared mission is to bring the message of His saving life, death and resurrection to all men and women through our words and deeds. Your personal lay vocation is even more focused: God has created you for a unique purpose only you can accomplish for Him!

As you read this book you will discover the intensely interesting history and theology of the lay vocation and how our Church’s reemphasis on the role of the laity in our day is meant to help awaken this “sleeping giant.”

But this is not simply a book of history and theology—it’s about your mission in life and your eternal destiny. Russell Shaw’s insightful work makes a direct connection between the teachings of the Bible, Vatican II, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis I and your everyday life as a lay follower of Jesus. Here you will learn how to begin discerning your unique personal lay vocation and how to establish, deepen and maintain your friendship with Jesus while you live out your lay vocation in the “real world.”

Jesus told us: I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” Read this book and find that life through your lay vocation!

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 2014

About the author

Russell Shaw is a widely published author and journalist who has written twenty previous books, including To Hunt, To Shoot, To Entertain: Clericalism and the Catholic Laity and Nothing to Hide: Secrecy, Communication, and Communion in the Catholic Church. For 18 years, Shaw directed media relations for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference. From 1987 to 1997 he oversaw media relations for the Knights of Columbus. Since resigning from that position, he has worked full time as a freelance writer.

Reviews

[Michael Vidrine · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very poor presentation of a very important topic. Shaw constantly mischaracterizes his sources; attempts to establish the importance of his work by giving a shallow, one-sided, and seriously misleading presentation of the laïty in the Christian tradition; discusses the gravity of the vocation crisis in the U.S. and then immediately contributes to its perpetuation by grossly misrepresenting what vocational discernment should look like; spends a shockingly and disproportionately low amount time treating his actual thesis and giving practical help on living out the goals he upholds; employs aids (like the “concentric circles of vocations”) that he obviously has not thought through; unnecessarily denigrates the extremely important Christian tradition of spiritual indifference and treats it as inconsistent with a robust sacramental worldview in a way that is extremely foolish and irresponsible; and does it all with high school level writing skills. I respect what Shaw is trying to do, but the execution is lazy and irresponsible.

[Ann Yeong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent go-to book for any person serious about understanding what the mission of a lay Catholic is (and, just as importantly, what it ISN'T). Russell Shaw begins the book with a sweeping overview of the development of the Catholic Church's understanding of the Laity from apostolic times, through the Middle Ages, Reformation and into the 20th century. The rest of the book beautifully enfleshes the Second Vatican Council's teaching about the laity, the importance of Personal Vocation, the role of the Laity in the Mission of the Church and the Spirituality of the Laity. Shaw also covers in substantial depth the challenges for the Laity in contemporary times, including clericalism and the tension of living in and evangelising the World without kneeling to it.

Perhaps one of the greatest revelation that many active Catholics will discover through reading this book is that the primary and more important mission for the laity is in the secular realm - at work and in the family, as opposed to being involved in 'ministries' within the institutional Church. This idea alone could be life-changing for many dedicated lay apostles who labour under the misunderstanding that they need to be involved in parish ministries in order to be part of the mission of the Church.

Peppered richly with references to papal encyclicals, Vatican documents and quotes from prominent theologians and saints, this book is a gift to the New Evangelisation and should not be missed!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, accessible presentation of the teaching of the Catholic Church on how the lay faithful are meant to "consecrate the world to Christ."