The Challenge of Active Catholics

Most active Catholics do not understand the mission of the Church or their role in it, much less performing it. They are also not getting the tools and support they need to do so. The Vatican II vision of the role of the laity is still not a reality.

Key Insights

Understanding the Mission
Most active Catholics simply do not have clarity about the mission of the Church or their role in it. They primarily still subscribe to an internal-focused model of Church, where the parish primarily exists to fulfill the "spiritual needs" of those who choose to show up, with some social service thrown in.

Understanding Sharing Our Faith
The least understood obligation understood by active Catholics is the call to explicitly share our faith. When educated, they often have significant resistance to accepting this role.

Understanding Conversion
Despite their sacramental initiation, many Catholics have not committed to live adult lives of intentional discipleship, develop a personal relationship with Christ, or remain open to continued conversion.

Support
Those Catholics who understand their role are often frustrated by a lack of support. In fact, this is a major issue causing some Catholics to seek out other denominations. Living as a disciple is difficult, and it requires formation, practical tools, and a community of support to be done well.

Understanding Witness
While most active Catholics try to live "good lives," this is not the same thing as seeing their faith as a way of life and living comprehensive lives of witness.

Quotations

Even though much has already been done to welcome our missing brothers and sisters back to the Lord’s Table, there is still so much more that can be done. Catholics may desire to take on the call to evangelize but feel ill prepared to explain Church teachings. Some believe they lack the formation to be personal witnesses to Christ.

Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization
Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, USCCB

Christ commands us to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. We are to proclaim his Good News to all people, everywhere and at all times. After Christ promises the disciples that the Holy Spirit will come upon them, he ascends into heaven. The disciples, rather than heeding Christ’s command to be his witnesses, stare “intently at the sky.” It takes “two men dressed in white garments” asking, “Men of Galilee, why are you . . . looking at the sky?” for the disciples to begin to realize the meaning of Christ’s command (Acts 1:10-11).

How often do we fail to realize that we are called to be Christ’s witnesses to the world? Do we realize that our Baptism, Confirmation, and reception of the Eucharist bestow on us the grace we need to be disciples? Are we like the disciples staring at the sky rather than inviting those around us to experience Christ’s love and mercy through the Church? How often do we reach out to our missing brothers and sisters by inviting them to join us at Mass or by asking why they no longer feel welcomed at the Lord’s Table?

Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization
Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, USCCB

Cover image from Pentecost, a painting by El Greco.