Next week we will be called upon by our Holy Father to celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. With that in mind.........
PASTOR’S NOTES
Next week we will be called upon by our Holy Father to celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. With that in mind I thought it apt to discuss lay ministry in our Church. No one can spend more than a few moments at Saint Stanislaus Kostka to realize the gift that is given by so many as they fulfill their Baptismal promises. While the history of our parish reveals that this has been a reality for some decades it is now being recognized as a necessary aspect of our universal faith community.
In the recent work: “Co-workers in the Vineyard of the Lord” our American Bishops published a strategy for the involvement of lay persons in ministry. Before we go much further a statement must be made which acknowledges that the desire of our leaders to see an increase in the involvement of the laity in the work of the church is not so much caused by a dearth of priestly and religious vocations as it is by a renewed understanding of the concept of communio and the munera of Baptism found in the documents of Vatican II. As the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church states we must acknowledge “ that all Christians in whatever state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity, and this holiness is conducive to a more human way of life even in society here on earth.” The Bishops’ document adds “all of the baptized are called to work toward the transformation of the world. Most do this by working in the secular realm; some do this by working in the Church and focusing on the building of ecclesial communion, which has among its purposes the transformation of the world. Working in the church is a path of Christian discipleship to be encouraged by the hierarchy. The possibility that lay persons undertake Church ministries can be grounded in Scripture and the teachings of the Church, from St. Paul to the Second Vatican Council and in more recent documents. “Sharing in the function of Christ, priest, prophet, and king, the laity have an active part of their own in the life and activity of the Church. Their activity within the church communities is so necessary that without it the apostolate of the pastors will frequently be unable to obtain its full effect.”
Perhaps some examples might flesh out the above concepts. The Code of Canon Law requires the parish priest to ensure the proper religious education not only of the young but his whole parish. It is necessary that he have dedicated men and women who will enter the classroom week after week to reveal by their words and example the message of the Gospel. The Faith Formation Team of our parish is a model structure for the proclamation of the faith to an adult community in need of continual spiritual growth. Societal problems must be addressed by the Church. The development of ecclesial groups led by laity to assist in times of bereavement, to support the divorced and separated, and to reach out to the sick and homebound all assist those ordained to shepherd the People of God.
Such collaboration requires our Episcopal leaders demand “a special level of professional competence.” Further, “their roles often require academic preparation, certification, credentialing, and a formation that integrates personal, spiritual, and pastoral dimensions. Our Archdiocese has readily sought to contribute to the development of laity properly equipped for pastoral leaderships. Programs and workshops are conducted for those who are called to youth ministry. To assist lay catechists and parochial school teachers certification programs were established which cover theological content, pedagogical methodology, and spiritual development. Most significantly, Cardinal Cooke responding to the recognitions of Vatican II concerning the rights and responsibilities of the faithful, established the Archdiocesan Catechetical Institute, (now known as the Institute of Religious Studies), to grant graduate degrees to those who desire to serve the church in positions of ministerial responsibility.
The Bishops recall that: “Pope John Paul II…described the Church as ‘a mystery of Trinitarian communion in missionary tension”. Continuing his thought our shepherds add: “The church…is the communion of each Christian with the Triune God and, by means of it, the communion of all Christians with one another in Christ. The Church is the communion of those called by Christ to be His disciples. Discipleship is the fundamental vocation in which the Church’s mission and ministry find full meaning. The call to discipleship is first of all, a gift. God offers to us a share in the Trinitarian communion, the love of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the essence of holiness, a participation in and belonging to God, the Holy One…All believers, through Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist, are formed into ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people’ (1 Pt 2:9) and so share ‘a common dignity of members deriving from their rebirth in Christ, a common grace as sons and daughters, a common vocation to perfection, one salvation, one hope and undivided charity’…And so this gift in turn becomes a mission that must shape the whole of Christian life…All of the faithful are called in various ways to share in the Church’s mission of announcing the reign of God and transforming the world in the light of Christ…An ecclesiology of communion looks upon different gifts and functions not as adversarial but as enriching and complementary. It appreciates the Church’s unity as an expression of the mutual and reciprocal gifts as brought into harmony by the Holy Spirit. An ecclesiology of communion recognizes diversity in unity and acknowledges the Spirit as the source of all of the gifts that serve to build up Christ’s Body…In its broadest sense, ministry is to be understood as service (diakonia) and is the means for accomplishing mission in the communion of the Church. It is a participation in and expression of Christ’s ministry. Within this broad understanding of ministry…”the nature of the Church as an organic and ordered communion is revealed.
How strong a witness the Church would provide if each of the faithful fulfilled their mission with the gifts they have received! How wonderful our faith is supported here at Saint Stanislaus Kostka as so many share their sense of communion in unique ways!
Vivat Jesus
Fr. Brian