In Medias Res

The Lay Apostolate: A Great Resolution for the New Year

by Gerard-Marie Anthony

In keeping with the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions, it is fitting to start off 2008 with a reflection on who we are so we can better direct ourselves as to where we are going.

Who are we? As Christians, we are followers of Christ, children of God who bear His name, and His visible representatives to the world. This means that the Second Commandment, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain,” has a twofold meaning. It implies not only something you should not do, but more importantly, something good you ought to do to bring honor to God’s name.

So how do we do this good? It may seem like there are millions of answers, but they can all be summed up by two words: discipleship and apostolate. Discipleship in the Christian sense refers to making oneself a follower of Christ. Apostolate refers to our mission to bring Christ to others.

Called to Love

Christ told us, “No one comes to the Father, but by me” (Jn. 14:6). To be a child of God, we must follow Christ. And we must listen to Christ’s words when He tells us how to be His disciples: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35). Love, then, is key to discipleship, for “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:8). Thus, it is only through love that we are His children and disciples.

Love does not turn a person inward, but always outward. Love is always thinking of the other. The perfect model of love is found in God Himself as the Holy Trinity. Therefore, discipleship—following Christ—goes hand-in-hand with the work of the apostolate—the mission of sharing Him with others.

Called to Evangelize

The Church is missionary, or evangelistic, by nature, and as members of the Church, we as lay people must be as well. Simply look up Matthew 28:19–20 and Mark 16:15 to see how the work of the apostolate is not an option, but a necessary response to the mandate of Christ.

The Church affirms this mandate through her laws and writings. Canon 211 states that the work of evangelization is a basic duty of the People of God. John Paul II agrees by stating that the laity all share Christ’s threefold office of priest, prophet, and king (see Christifideles Laici, no. 14; also see Pope Paul VI’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem).

Christian Witness: The Light of the World

Faith is meant to encompass our very being—not to be compartmentalized from the rest of our lives, like a job. We must remember that we are men and women of faith who live in the world, and the two cannot be separated. This means that as lay people, we are called to bring God’s kingdom into our secular settings.

This does not necessarily have to be done in extraordinary ways, but in “doing the ordinary things with extraordinary love,” as Mother Teresa taught. Christian witness is key to evangelization because, as St. Francis of Assisi once said, “your life may be the only Gospel somebody will ever see.” The Gospel tells us that we are “the light of the world” and that we should not hide our light under a bushel (Mt. 5:14–16).

Scripture also speaks of the necessity of bearing good fruit. Psalm 1:1–5 and Proverbs 11:30 are Old Testament examples. The New Testament demonstrates this as well. The parable of the barren fig tree in Luke’s Gospel (Lk. 13:6–9) is one case. Paul speaks of it in his letter to the Colossians (Col. 1:9–10). John the Baptist preached, “Bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’” He implies that just because we consider ourselves children of God, we do not automatically have a free ticket to heaven. Jesus implies the same thing: “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 7:21).

Christ lights up the world through the Church, the baptized members of His Mystical Body. If we as Christians do not shine our light by speaking the truth and living our faith—by bearing good fruit—how will the people who live in darkness see the “great light” that Isaiah 9:2 speaks of?

This year, we remember who we are and to what we are called: Christians, “a living Sacrament to the world,” as Pope Benedict XVI says. By becoming disciples who are active in the apostolate, by accomplishing God’s will, we fulfill our purpose in life and continue in the right direction, toward heaven and sanctity. And we light the way for others to do the same.

Gerard-Marie Anthony teaches theology and resides in Virginia. He obtained his theology degree from Christendom College and has written numerous articles on the faith, including an explanation of the male priesthood and the biblical basis of Marian Consecration.

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