S12 E20 - Christifideles Laici Chapter 1: I Am the Vine, You Are the Branches
Abiding Together
The Urgency and Awakening Call of the Church's Mission
Reading the document again is a great reminder of the urgency and mission of Christ. It's easy to become complacent, but there's a bigger mission at play here. The document is a response to the 1987 Senate of Bishops and remains prophetic today. Lay people are called to be salt and light to the world.
In this episode, we begin our five part summer study of St. Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici: on the vocation and the mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world. We share why we are excited for the study, ways we have been personally convicted to grow in faith, and what the universal call to holiness looks like in our everyday lives. In a time when darkness seems to be growing, we ponder how Jesus is the hope for humanity and the sense of urgency we should feel in being His light bearers to the world. The Lord has called you to holiness and to bear fruit in this world, wherever you may find yourself.
Friends, in our study of Christifideles Laici, you will hear us talk about the recurring theme of community. While reading this apostolic exhortation and listening to each episode by yourself will certainly bear fruit in your life, we want to take a moment to encourage you to reach out to your friends and start a small group to discuss each chapter. We provide on our website journaling and discussion questions you can use, download, and print to begin the conversations. Our hope is that wherever you are, you can build authentic friendships, rooted in Christ, with those around you.
Heather's One Thing - The Ember Mug
Heather's Other One Thing - Clothed with Power from on High: A Short Catechesis on Charisms in the Life and Mission of the Church by Bishop Scott McCaig, CC.
Sister Miriam's One Thing - Just a Guy in the Pew Ministry
Michelle's One Thing - The Rule: St. John Paul II's Rule for a Joy-filled Marriage of Divine Love by Theresa Martin and the Word on Fire article about the book
Michelle's Other One Thing - The song Fear is Not My Future by Todd Galberth and Tasha Cobbs
Discussion Questions:
- What has been your experience with papal encyclicals? What questions do you have before we dive in?
- How is God calling you to recognize the sacredness of the human person in your daily life?
- As we discussed in the Lenten study, how have you seen God invite you on mission in this season?
- Where is your place in the vineyard and what does it look like?
Journal Questions:
- What words am I speaking into my family, my community, and my culture?
- What sensitivities am I noticing in my heart to the challenges and limitations in the world around me?
- How can I help?
- How is God inviting me into deeper prayer and surrender in my daily life?
Quote to Ponder:
The gospel records that the weeds and the good grain grew together in the farmer's field. The same is true in history, where in everyday life, there often exist contradictions in the exercise of human freedom, where there is found, side by side and at times closely intertwined, evil and good, injustice and justice, anguish and hope. (Christifideles Laici Paragraph 3)
Scripture for Lectio:
"I am the vine and you are the branches." - John 15:5
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