FREE ESSAY ON CHRISTIFIDELIS LAICI

CHRISTIFIDELIS LAICI

Christifidelis Laici
Christifidelis Laici was written with the intention to bring together experience with
theory. This was in order for concrete ways in which the laity according to the Vatican
II could be implemented into an authentic living experience. Resulting from Vatican II
the lay participation blossomed in the Church's mission. Through faith and baptism lay
people are engrafted to Christ and that the laity thus have a positive understanding of
their vocation and mission. Through baptism one becomes the child of Christ and members
of Christ's body. Because of this lay people share in Christ's mission as a priest,
prophet, and king in ways appropriate to them as laity. Due to our call by Christ we must
live our lives with his message in mind opening others to the church and spreading the
good news to all as a mission of the church.
Pope John Paul II mentions two temptations to which the laity may be exposed in their
Christian vocation. One of these temptations is of, legitimizing the unwarranted
separation of faith from life, that is a separation of the Gospel's acceptance from the
actual living of the Gospel in various situations in the world. In other words that means
that when the laity hear the good news of the Gospel they accept what they hear but do
not act it out once outside the church. For example the reading of the Gospel contains
the parable of the Good Samaritan. Later in the week say Tuesday, the boy who heard the
message and accepted it as good news, is in the city when he sees an elderly couple
struggling to climb the many steps of a building. The boy offers no help or assistance
but just thinks to himself, oh they'll be fine, but I have to get into this building for
a social services interview since I want to help people. This boy heard the message on
Sunday about helping others but in the real world he is separated from the Gospel's
acceptance and the actual living of the Gospel.