Vocation of the Laity in a Culture of Death

        In the modern world, we are faced with a culture of death. In the words of Pope John Paul II, this culture denies solidarity and “is actively fostered by powerful cultural, economic and political currents which encourage an idea of society excessively concerned with efficiency” (EV 12).

        The laity can counter this culture of death in a few ways:

1.      Promoting human dignity: In a modern culture of utilitarianism, human dignity is at stake when virtually everything, from human life to marriage and family relationship and from friendship to day-to-day human interactions is measured based on the materialistic benefit that it would bring to me or the “greater good” that it would bring to the society. There is often a lack of respect of other people. The Catholic laity should in their everyday lives live out the Golden Rule: “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matt 7:12). With greater respect for other people, the world can be changed into a more genuinely human habitation (Shaw 75).

2.      Fostering respect for the right to life: Under all circumstances, the Church strongly opposes to abortion and euthanasia, because they are intrinsically evil acts that infringe upon human dignity to the greatest extent. It is crucial for the Catholic laity to advocate the importance to protect human life amongst ourselves, starting from our family members, relatives and friends. Catholics who are doctors and nurses should endeavor to uphold the pro-life principle, so do teachers, media professionals and researchers in the bio-tech field (Shaw 77).

3.      Protecting marriage and family life: the family is the basic unit of the society. Good marriages and family lives are conducive to achieving common good in society. In face of modern practice of cohabitation and high divorce rates, Catholic couples and families need to come together in groups for mutual reinforcement and support (Shaw 80). This will not only reinforce their marriage bonds but also enable them to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world so that others would realize the true happiness of marriage and family.

4.      Engaging in works of charity: Jesus gives us a new commandment that we should love one another as he has loved us. The Catholic laity should engage in charitable works, particularly those involving in helping the poor and the needy through voluntary services and donations, so that other people will know that the society is not just focusing entirely on efficiency, effectiveness and benefits, but also on human charity and love for those who are in need.

5.      Participating in public life: in a democratic society, all have the right to vote as a citizen. The Catholic laity should exercise this right prudently based on a “sincere and generous calculation for what will serve the common good” (Shaw 82). For Catholics who are called to hold public service, they should follow their conscience in the light of the teaching of the Magisterium to do goods and avoid evils, particularly on issues that involve human life and dignity, marriage and family.

Bibliography

Coogan, Michael D. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha. N.p.: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.

Pope John Paul II. "Evangelium Vitae." N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2015.

Shaw, Russell. “The Apostolate of the Laity.” Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church. Bethune: Requiem Press, 2005. 117-129.