We continue in the fifth chapter of this document with the theme “Paths of youth” to read about the theme “Young and committed.”
168. At times, seeing a world so full of violence and selfishness, young people can be tempted to withdraw into small groups, shunning the challenges and issues posed by life in society and in the larger world.
It is not just young people, so the rest of us might ponder the advice laid out here:
They may feel that they are experiencing fraternity and love, but their small group may in fact become nothing other than an extension of their own ego. This is even more serious if they think of the lay vocation simply as a form of service inside the Church: serving as lectors, acolytes, catechists, and so forth.
This is more likely an issue with their parents and grandparents, though some of today’s traditionally-aligned people do gravitate to liturgy.
They forget that the lay vocation is directed above all to charity within the family and to social and political charity. It is a concrete and faith-based commitment to the building of a new society. It involves living in the midst of society and the world in order to bring the Gospel everywhere, to work for the growth of peace, harmony, justice, human rights and mercy, and thus for the extension of God’s kingdom in this world.
As for myself, I do not live a lay vocation in my own church service. As a church musician and liturgist, I respond to the charism provided to me. It is not necessarily part of the lay vocation to serve as I do in the Church. My lay vocation is largely activated outside of the Church building. What about yours?
The Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on this link at the Vatican site.
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