Evangelization & Catechesis
The overarching context for all lay formation is evangelization. The Church's primary mission is to evangelize, and all baptized Christians are called both to pursue sanctity and to proclaim the Good News: "The universal call to holiness is closely linked to the universal call to mission. Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission" (Bl. John Paul II, Redemptoris missio, n. 90).
Jesus sends his disciples out to announce the Kingdom of God and to transform the world. The Catholic laity has a special role to play in handing on the fullness of the faith which comes from the Apostles. Indeed, catechesis involves the lifelong effort to form people to be witnesses of Christ. As Blessed John Paul II wrote, "...the definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity" (Catechesi tradendae, n. 5).
The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Word of God, to sanctify the people of God, and to build up a community of love in service. Firmly rooted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a well-formed laity will bring people into communion with Christ and will form disciples to continue the Church's saving work. Thank you for answering the call to ongoing conversion and formation in Christ: For his love alone can fulfill the longing of the human heart!
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."
(Mt 28:19-20)
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:
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