Lay Ministry

You are unique and God has a plan for you!

We are called to be the presence of Christ wherever we are or whatever we are doing. At home, at work, when we are at leisure, socialising, entertaining, when we are sharing a common interest with others such as working for ecological or justice and peace issues. The mission of lay ministry is to touch all areas of life.

Many of us were baptised as children and do not remember what happened. Immediately after we are baptised we are anointed on our heads with chrism oil. This is repeated or "confirmed" at our Confirmation.

The words "chrism" and "Christ" come from the same word in Greek, the language of the first Christians. "Christ" means the anointed one of God, anointed for the mission to save the world.

Every baptised person is given this same mission as a member of the Church, the Body of Christ. Single people and married people are called by God to be the presence of Christ in the world. (See the Catechism 897 - 913) This is done in a vast variety of ways.

Sometimes it is possible to find your vocation in paid work but often people find it elsewhere, through family life and voluntary activities.

The best place to start investigating the vocation of a lay person is in your own parish community but there are also many organisations that support lay ministry in the Church.

Each of us is different, we have different skills and different weaknesses, both of which can be used by God to show that we are witnessing to something far greater than ourselves.

We live our vocation through Jesus Christ for the good of others and the Church. In whatever our call maybe, we as individuals become part of something much greater than ourselves. Through accompanying others we live as part of a vocational culture doing God's will and fulfilling his plan for us. Perhaps as Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Youth Leaders, Married, Single, Parents etc

What are your gifts?

What strengths and weaknesses has God given to you?

Are you fullfilling God's will for you?

Are you helping others to do the same?