The Catechism in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 125: Vocation of the Laity (2026)

Episode Date: May 5, 2026

The term "laity" refers to all the faithful, except those in Holy Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by the Church. We learn about the special vocation lay people have to seek the Kingdom of God as they engage in temporal affairs. They live in the world and bring the Gospel to places priests and religious cannot access. Father Mike explains that in this way, the lay faithful not only participate in the Church but are the Church. The laity participate in Christ's priestly vocation by making every part of their lives an offering to God. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 897-903. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Catechism in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's plan of sheer goodness for us, revealed in scripture and passed down through the tradition of the Catholic faith. The Catechism in a year is brought to you by Ascension. In 365 days, we'll read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church discovering our identity in God's family as we journey together toward our heavenly home. It is Day 125. We are reading paragraphs 897 to 903. As always, I'm using the Ascension edition of the Catechism, which includes the foundations of faith approach, but you can follow along with any recent version of the catechism of the Catholic Church. You can also download your own catechism in a year reading plan by visiting ascensionpress.com

slash CIY. You can check those days off one by one. And lastly, you can click follow or subscribe in your podcast app for daily updates and daily notifications. Also, just a thank you for all those who have supported and continue to support the production of this podcast. We couldn't know without you. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your generosity. Amazing. So good. As I said, it's day 125, paragraphs 897 to 903 yesterday. And the day before, We talked about the Episcopacy, right? We talked about the bishops. We talked about the Holy Father.

We talked about the sanctifying office of the church, the, of the bishops, the teaching office of the bishops, and the governing office of the bishops today. We get to talk about the lay faithful, which is a grace today and tomorrow. The third day, we'll talk about consecrated life. But today we get to talk about the laity. So what is the laity? Paragraph 897 says the term laity is here understood to mean all the faithful, except those in holy orders, like so bishops and priests, deacons, and those who will be able to be able to

belong to a religious state approved by the church. So monks, nuns, that kind of situation. So lady is everyone who's in the church, brought in by baptism and fully integrated in the people of God. In that, the lay faithful share what? They share a particular vocation. And the vocation today, I'm just, I'm so excited. Well, I don't even know. Do I say it right now? I don't know if I give it away. Basically, the call of everyone is to be a saint. Of course, that's what vocation means, right? They mean to be called. So the call of everyone is to be a saint. Okay, we got that down. But there's a special vocation. In paragraph 898 says, by reason of their special vocation, it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them

according to God's will. It goes on to even say even more. It pertains to them in a special way. So to illuminate and order all temporal things. Again, things are not church things, but outside church things, with which they are closely associated that these may always be affected and grow according to Christ and may be to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer. Basically, the role of the laity is to sanctify the world, right? So we talked about how the sanctifying office of the bishop and by extension to the priests is to the Eucharist and that's incredible and bringing that to the people of God. And then basically the church is saying, I'll sum it up in this really kind of a nutshell, is then for the laity to take that, the grace that they've received.

through the sacraments, the teaching they've received through the teaching office of the church, and bring that out into the world to basically employ the teaching they received into the church into every area of their life. And take the grace that they've received through the sacraments and through prayer into every area of their life. And it's just, it's incredible. In fact, what the church is going to say today is there are places that the lay faithful, bring the gospel that would never see the gospel if the lay faithful faithful don't bring them. Does that make sense? Basically, there are places that priests don't have access to, that bishops don't have access to.

There's places that religious sisters and brothers don't have access to, but you have access to. And that sense of, and if you don't bring the gospel to those places, the gospel will never reach those places. And it's just incredible, the vocation of lay people in paragraphs 898 to 900. but then we're going to talk today about the participation of the lay people in Christ's priestly office. Remember those, that threefold office of our Lord Jesus is the priest of the office, prophetic office, and his kingly office, aka the teaching office, the sanctifying office, and the governing office. So, but every layperson is called to participate in Christ's priestly office. Why? Because you were anointed a kingdom priest in Christ's prophetic office,

because you were anointed at your baptism and in the royal office of our Lord, because you were anointed at your baptism. Again, but we'll talk today only about the priest of the office of Jesus. Tomorrow we'll talk about the prophetic and the royal office that you share in, that all they faithful share in. So I'm excited for today. So let's just call up on the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, if you're baptized, the Holy Spirit that came upon you and once again,

anointed you, made you into a son or daughter of the Father. And also, tent that Holy Spirit so that you will be a kingdom. priest in this world, bringing the gospel, bringing the light of Jesus, bringing the grace of Christ to every corner of your life. So, Father, we lift up your voice. We lift our voice to you. Father, we lift up your name. We praise you right now. We thank you for your son, Jesus Christ. We thank you for all of our brothers and sisters who have been incorporated into the body of Christ through baptism. We thank you for every person who lives out in the world and works out in the world and constantly just brings a little bit more of you into their corner of the world.

We thank you. We ask you today, if they're beginning their day as they're hearing these words, we ask that you please help them to bring your grace to their little corner of the world. And Lord God, if they're listening to this in the middle or end of the day, we ask that you please help them to bring your grace to the corner of the world. That's their home or their apartment. We ask you to please help all of us. Have all of us bring your gospel to wherever it is that we live, to bring your light to wherever

it is that we live, and to bring you wherever it is that we live. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As I said, it's day 125 for reading paragraphs 897 to 903. The lay faithful. The term laity is here understood to mean all the faithful except those in holy orders

and those who belong to a religious state approved by the church. that is, the faithful, who by baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the people of God are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the church and in the world. The vocation of laypeople By reason of their special vocation, it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. It pertains to them in a special way so to illuminate and order all temporal things with which they are closely associated that these may always be affected and grow according to Christ and may be to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer.

The initiative of lay Christians is necessary especially when the matter involves discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life. This initiative is a normal element of the life of the church. As Pope Pius X. 12th said, quoted by John Paul II, lay believers are the front line of church life. For them, the church is the animating principle of human society. Therefore, they in particular ought to have an ever clearer consciousness, not only of belonging to the church, but of being the church. That is to say, the community of the faithful on earth under the leadership of the Pope,

the common head, and of the bishops in community. with him. They are the church. Since, like all the faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the apostolate by virtue of their baptism and confirmation, they have the right and duty, individually, or grouped in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. This duty is the more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the gospel and know Christ. Their activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that, for the most part, the apostolate of pastors cannot be fully effective without it. The participation of laypeople in Christ's priestly office.

Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ, and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the spirit, indeed, even the hardships of life if patiently born, all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist, these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord. And so, worshiping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness

of their lives. In a very special way, parents share in the office of sanctifying by leading a conjugal life in the Christian spirit and by seeing to the Christian education of their children. Lay people who possess the required qualities can be admitted permanently to the ministries of lector and acolyte. When the necessity of the church warrants it and when ministers are lacking, laypersons, even if they are not lecturers or acolytes, can also supply for certain of their offices, namely, to exercise the ministry of the word, to preside over literature. prayers to confer baptism and to distribute Holy Communion in accord with the prescriptions of the law. Okay, you guys, that's such a good. This section is just getting me pumped up, pumped up, paragraphs 897 to 903.

Okay, let's start. Vocation of laypeople, paragraph 898. This is just, okay, let's calm down, calm down everybody. Here we are, by reason of their special vocation. It belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. So, man, we can ask the question, God, how do you want me to be a saint? God, how do you want me to serve you? Well, if you're a layperson, again, you're not in holy orders and not in consecrated life, that it belongs to you to seek the kingdom of God, right, to bring the kingdom of God to the earth, to become a saint by what, by doing what? By engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. basically by living your life out in the world and bringing the gospel there.

Goes on to say in paragraph 899. The initiative of lay Christians is necessary, especially when the matter involves discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life. Sometimes too many people look to the priests, say, okay, father, what should we do when it comes to politics? So what should we do when it comes to economics? What should we do when it comes to education?

And now there are some priests who are really, really, really, intelligent when it comes to that. And yes, of course, the church has declared some things, some principles when it comes to economics and politics and those kinds of things. But it's the initiative of lay Christians that needs to discover and invent the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life. And this initiative, the church says, this initiative, that doing this, this bringing the gospel to daily life and inventing new ways to go, to, to go. about living the Christian life and actually creating culture, it says, is a normal element of the life

of the church. That's just absolutely ordinary. So John Paul II, he's quoting here, Pope Pius the 12th. And it says this, he said this, lay believers are the front line of the church. Lay believers are in the front line of church life. For them, the church is the animating principle of human society. Therefore, they in particular ought to have an ever-clear consciousness, not only belonging to the church, but of being the church. They are the church, he says, that community and faithful, and not like on our own. Like, no one goes off on their own and says, I'm the church and I'm going to do this because I'm a Christian. It's, I'm doing that, yes, as an individual, individual Christian, but I'm doing that united with my bishop, united with the college of bishops, united with

with the Holy Father. And he goes on to say, he says, they are the church. In paragraph 900 and paragraph 901 are two of my favorite paragraphs that maybe we've read in the last long while. And so I just, again, that's why I need to calm down here. It goes on to say, since like all the faithful, lay Christians are entrusted by God with the Apostolate of their baptism and confirmation. So you've been given a mission when you're baptized. You were given a mission when you were confirmed. This is so incredibly. So it goes on to say, because of that, they have the right and duty. So not only the right. Like you get to do this. You also have the duty. You must do this. Individually or grouped in associations to do what? To work? so that the divine message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. You realize that when we talk about the dignity of lay people, the dignity of all Christian believers, there's an incredible, incredible right to be able to go out and live that priestly office, that royal office, that prophetic office. But you also have the duty to do this. To do what?

To work so that the message of salvation may be known and accepted by all men throughout the earth. Again, sometimes we turn and say, nope, it's the bishop. job, it's the priest's job. Yes, that's part of their job. But also, the church is saying, guys, it's your job. Going on to say, this duty is more pressing when it is only through them that men can hear the gospel and know Christ. There are places that your bishop cannot go. There are places that I cannot go as a priest. And these are places sometimes that you live. To think about this, this duty is more pressing when it is only. It is only, it is only. And these are places. only through them that the men, that people will hear the gospel. You know, you've probably heard

it said that your life may be the only Bible someone ever reads. That kind of, that, that truth is, is encapsulated here in paragraph 900. It goes on to say their activity, like people's activity in ecclesial communities is so necessary that for the most part, the apostolate of pastors cannot be fully effective without it. That a priest on his own, he cannot, or bishop on his own, cannot, cannot do what needs to be done in this world. And so here is the vocation of lay people to say, okay, let's bring it. And I really mean bring it, bring it to the world. And paragraph 901 says, okay, first bring it as exercising your participation in Christ's priestly office. And this is just, okay, let's read through this and there'll be the last thing we do.

Paragraph 901. Hence, the laity dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit are marvelously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the spirit may be produced in them. So here you are. You've been called, consecrated, you've been baptized, you've been confirmed, you've received the Holy Spirit.

Why? You're called and prepared, so even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in you for all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life,

daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they're accomplished in the spirit. In fact, indeed, even the hardships of life have patiently born, all of these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Now, think about this.

What the church is saying here is that since you have been anointed a priest, right, you've been anointed a kingdom priest. What a priest do? Priests offer the sacrifice. And the church is saying here that your whole life, the entirety of your life, because you share, you participate in Christ's priestly office, every aspect of your life gets to be offered. Every aspect of your life can become a sacrifice.

Every aspect of your life can become participation. In the Eucharist, it goes on to say, what he says is it, all their works, so all your works, your entire day. There's not one moment of your day that cannot be offered to the Lord. It goes on to say, all your prayers, of course, duh, that makes sense. Your apostolic undertakings. Yeah, whenever you serve the church or bring the gospel, those things make sense. But also family and married life.

Yeah, that can be offered. Daily work. That can be offered. Relaxation of mind and body. If they're accomplished in the Holy Spirit, like you can even offer that. You can join because you've been an anointed, the kingdom priest. You can even offer their relaxation. It goes on to say, indeed, even the hardships of life if patiently born, all of these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God

through Jesus Christ. Everything in your life, every moment, every breath, you can unite it to the celebration of the Eucharist and offer it to the Father along with the body of the Lord. And his last line here in paragraph 901 says, and so worshiping everywhere by their holy actions. everywhere. Your cubicle becomes an altar, right? Where you change the baby becomes an altar. On your hands and knees, cleaning the bathroom floor. That becomes an altar. Worshiping everywhere by the holy actions, the lady consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives. I know the light yesterday and today, maybe I don't know if it seems long to you, but I am so excited. I know we only had a couple chapters or paragraphs today. But there's something about

about this that just cries out for our attention. Something about this that just says, okay, all of us, and especially all my brothers and sisters who are listening to this, you who haven't been ordained, you're not, you don't participate in holy orders, you're not in a consecrated life, you're not a religious sister or brother. The church is saying, you, your life is meant to be,

it's meant to be the life of an evangelist, it's meant to be the life of a missionary, it's meant to be the life of someone who it's all offered to the Lord. That's one of the reasons here, I'll end close with this. It's one of the reasons why I love St. Francis de Sales. St. Francis de Sales had this teaching. It's really brief.

And he says, whenever you do anything, think of three words. Ask, offer, and accept. You ask God, please God, be present. Of course, God's present everywhere. But just, you're calling him to mind. You're making him present in your mind, right? You ask God to be present. Secondly, you offer.

God, whatever I'm about to do, I offer it to you as a sacrifice. So whether that is I'm going to work, whether that's going to work out, whether that's I'm just going to watch TV. Offer this to you as a sacrifice. And then you resolve to accept whatever comes from that moment. Ask and offer and accept. When we ask God to be present, every moment becomes a sacrament.

He's present there. His grace is present. When we offer every moment, every moment becomes a sacrifice, meaning every moment becomes a moment of worship. And when we resolve to accept whatever God brings, every moment becomes a moment of faith, a moment of trust, a moment of relying upon God's providence. And that's what the church is inviting us to do, all of us to do this moment.

There's no part of your life, no part of my life as well, that I cannot offer to God. So we ask, God be present. We offer, God, receive this. And we resolve to accept whatever comes out of this. Please pray for each other, because this is a high call. It's a great task. And it's, but it's yours. It's your vocation.

And I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.