Back in 2016 I learned through LRBM via Ascension Press that:
The Book of Psalms is The School of Prayer
Then on The Feast of the Holy Family on 27th December, this year in 2020, l learned via Friar Derrick’s children mass homily that:
The home is the first school of Christian life (CCC 1657)
As we know Faith begins at home in the Domestic Church (CCC 1655)
Now that’s 2 instant schools I have access to, to learn how to pray and to live our Christian life!
In a LRBM retreat earlier in October 2020, I learned more on the role of the Laity through a Decree and an Exhortation:
- Apostolicam Actuositatem – Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 18 November 1965
- Christifideles Laici – Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness John Paul II on the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the world, 30 December 1988
And this was my reflection after the retreat:
Apostolate to sanctify and renew the temporal order. For me it is profound. Calls out. Appreciate this knowledge from the apostolate encyclical for the laity to read into —-Apostolicam Actuositatem as I only roughly knew as lay we had a role to play as a baptised catholic to serve in our mission and evangelise, but knowing deeper on the spirituality of Lay people, saying success of lay apostolate depends on the laity living in union with Christ ———-not only to bring out the Gospel message but I liked what it said about the church’s mission to———— penetrate and perfect the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel—————— So not only to “go out go out to all the world and share the Good News”, but, to me that feels like infusion, to infuse love in others and it really builds upon how to live an integrated life together with family, as well as my own spiritual life too, so very helpful to know this. And how COVID-19 accelerated this by being at home to serve domestic church from home together with the fundamental as families building the parishes to the wider church. If I am in union with Christ then the fruit should be joy and to attract and inspire others by being as life-giving as possible.
CCC 1657: All members of family exercise for priesthood of the Baptised in a privileged way —-by reception of the sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, self denial (purification) and active charity.
Because The Lord loved us first.
This all follows on from learning about Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti from 3 October 2020 of the Holy Father Francis on fraternity and social friendship, and previously the year prior in the last LRBM retreat on how Christus Vivit reaches out to the youth. Also learned about the dogmatic constitution on Divine Revelation through Dei Verbum. We have so many connected resources to teach us; we have school surroundings to learn from wherever we are!
My takeaway reflection from 2020 is the richness of the lay apostolate, how there is really a lot to learn about the life of the laity with the above resources and how we as family or singledom must use our gifts to sanctify the world by how we live as witnesses to Christ.