By Fr. Bel R. San Luis, SVD
Three friends who had not seen each other after high school graduation met in a class reunion and were engaged in a spirited conversation. “In our town,” said the first, “people call me ‘Monsignor’ because I am a part-time lay minister.”
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The second said: “Well, I’m now a businessman but I’m an active charismatic elder. I give spiritual talks so everybody calls me ‘Cardinal’.”
The third classmate, who was quietly listening, had his turn to speak: “Well, I’m a sales representative. I help in church as collector at Mass. Many call me ‘God.’”
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“What, God? How can that be!” his friends reacted. The sales rep said, “You see, when I knock at the door of my customers, and they see me standing before them with my products, they exclaim, ‘My God, my God, you again!’”
That funny story might well illustrate the fact that today there are more and more lay people who are involved in the work of the Church.
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Some years ago I celebrated the culminating Mass of a two-day Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) of the Loved Flock charismatic community at the DPWH chapel, Port Area in Manila.
What’s remarkable is that there were lay professionals who took time out to reach out to people in need of spiritual renewal.
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They had taken seriously the call of Christ and went out to heal, preach, teach as enunciated in the gospel of this 15th Sunday: “Jesus summoned the twelve and began sending them out” (Mk 6,7).
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The Vatican II Decree on Laity puts it clearly: “Incorporated into Christ’s Mystical Body through baptism and strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit through confirmation, the laity are ASSIGNED to the apostolate by the Lord himself” (3).
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So whether you are a lawyer, clerk, doctor, an executive, a teacher or whatever, you are sent out to share yourself in the apostolic work of the Church.
If that’s not possible due to time constraint, you can do it by the TESTIMONY OF CHRISTIAN LIVING. For instance, do people see honesty in your dealings, fidelity in your married life, justice in treating your workers and helpers, charity in helping the poor?
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There is a story about a Hindu man who lay dying as Mother Teresa of Calcutta (now a saint) sought to do her best to comfort and console him. “What is this?” the man asked, grasping the crucifix that hung from her neck.
“That is a symbol that reminds me of my God,” she replied. “Then your God is also my God now!” the Hindu exclaimed with the last ounce of his strength.
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ASK YOURSELF: What am I doing as an “apostle” of Christ? When I leave this world and face the Lord, will I be able to show something related to my Church duty as a Christian?
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SUPPORT SEMINARIANS. Talking about doing something for the Church, how about helping seminarians we’re supporting under “Adopt-A-Seminarian” scholarship program?
Seminarians are very important because we cannot have priests, bishops and popes if we don’t support and nurture seminarians’ vocations NOW.
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You may chip in an amount or sponsor a seminarian’s schooling for one year. For inquiry, e-mail me at: [email protected].
