Lay ministry???

[oratefratres]

I was at a vocations gathering and many people wree asking - what ministry are you involved with in the church

Most people were saying things like 'Eucharistic Minister' and 'Lay Reader' and 'Interfaith' and 'Catechist'

Maybe I am a bit trad but I think there should be no EMHCs unless in dire need (cf Redemptionis Sacramentum), no lay readers (why does the priest need to sit down for a break in Mass?) the priest or an ordained person or even a deacon, or some person with proper theological qualifications should be a catechist. Not just any married mom or retired person with time in their hands. . And as for 'Interfaith', extra ecclesiam nulla salus.

Quite frankly I was appalled. I participate in lay initiatives like Catholic Homeless Shelter and FoodBank and pro life vigils, but also I work AND study AND go daily mass, say the office and daily holy hour and there is no way I would participate in the above. Definitely not EMHCs. Kyrie eleison. Also I go to many different parishes for different things. daily mass at one, adoration in another, a third for first Friday devtions and a fourth for sunday masss.

So what do I do if a VD asks about my ministry? or my parish?

[dUSt]

 

So what do I do if a VD asks about my ministry? or my parish?

​I always find that honesty is the best policy. Although, I would suggest toning down your rhetoric a bit. People who are trying to volunteer the best way they know how usually don't like to be described as appalling.

[dUSt]

 

Quite frankly I was appalled.

​But, if we are being bluntly honest, I personally find your avatar mocking the keys of St Peter appalling. Please don't take that in a confrontational manner--just stating my friendly opinion.

[krissylou]

I participate in lay initiatives like Catholic Homeless Shelter and FoodBank and pro life vigils

​When people ask about your ministry, that's your answer.  See, not so tough.  

[oratefratres]

What IS ministry? Do they mean apostolic work? Is prayer ministry? Must it be in a group?

[oratefratres]

​But, if we are being bluntly honest, I personally find your avatar mocking the keys of St Peter appalling. Please don't take that in a confrontational manner--just stating my friendly opinion.

​OK I have changed it

[krissylou]

What IS ministry? Do they mean apostolic work? Is prayer ministry? Must it be in a group?

​Well I don't know how those individuals mean it, but I think of "ministry" as a very broad term, could include just about anything.  It could be actually volunteering in your parish in a variety of ways, the lay initiatives you're talking about TOTALLY count, a dedicated prayer apostolate certainly could as well.  (I wouldn't think of my normal routine prayer habits as a "ministry" but if I were making a point of offering prayer support for the pro-life organizations it would.  But now that I think about it that's an awfully fine line and may make zero sense.)

[oratefratres]

​Well I don't know how those individuals mean it, but I think of "ministry" as a very broad term, could include just about anything.  It could be actually volunteering in your parish in a variety of ways, the lay initiatives you're talking about TOTALLY count, a dedicated prayer apostolate certainly could as well.  (I wouldn't think of my normal routine prayer habits as a "ministry" but if I were making a point of offering prayer support for the pro-life organizations it would.  But now that I think about it that's an awfully fine line and may make zero sense.)

​what if I was helping the poor outside of the parish environment

[Basilisa Marie]

In my brutally honest opinion, you need to get over yourself regarding liturgical ministries unless you hope to work in an exclusive Traditional Latin Mass community with lots of priests around. You will hurt a LOT of people if you just walk into a regular novus ordo parish and can all the liturgical ministers. And you sound like you have no idea how hard it is to find people with proper "theological qualifications" to be a catechist, let alone people with the right temperament. A kindergarten teacher doesn't need a theology degree. You can have all these great ideas about how things should be, but once you get in the trenches of parish life it's a lot harder to carry out your plans than you think before you actually start doing it. 

If you haven't already, go read Lumen Gentium. That might give you some context. 

Lay Ministry is a huge topic in the Church right now, and in a lot of ways it's still being worked out. After Vatican II there was a shift in the way we view the way the Church does ministry. Before the Council, it was generally assumed that the bishop did all the things, that anything priests and lay people did were simply extensions of the bishop's ministry. That is no longer the case. We have a new (renewed?) understanding of the role of lay people in the Church. Their mission is connected to the bishop's mission, but that's no different than how all of our missions our connected to each other within the Church. Lay people have a special focus of going out into the public sphere and radiating the light of Christ in whatever their sphere of influence is. They can evangelize in ways that the bishop cannot. 

Ministry is everything - from serving in liturgy, serving the poor, serving those within the Church, serving the sick, etc. It is any and all kinds of service done in the name of Christ. When they ask you what ministries you're involved in, they mean what do you do to help others in the name of Christ? Do you serve at mass as a liturgical minister? Are you a catechist? Do you help in a soup kitchen? Do you pray outside Planned Parenthood? Whatever it is you do, serving the community, because you are a Christian.  

[Catlick]

Although, I would suggest toning down your rhetoric a bit. People who are trying to volunteer the best way they know how usually don't like to be described as appalling.

​I would suggest reading the Old Testament prophets and St. Paul on liturgical abuse. Touching the Host as a lay man (without grave necessity) is sacrilege. 

[Maggyie]

Eye rolling. St Paul doesn't say anything about touching the Host. 

Your "ministry" is what you do to serve God whether on parish grounds or off. One of the most popular forms of ministry for instance is prayer ministry where you choose a specific intention to devote prayer to for the rest of your life (or whatever period). You can participate in this ministry while ice fishing in the Antarctic Ocean should you wish.

This stuff is why I'm no longer a traditionalist in spite of attending Traditional Latin Mass for years. There's so much OCD, constipated immaturity and people who are wannabe bishops and armchair theologians  

"Interfaith is wrong, EENS!"

"You're doing Mass wrong, it needs to be like this ( insert personal preference)"

"There's so much to be appalled about in the world but I choose to be appalled about how other Christians describe the work they do! The vocabulary word used was wrong! The "wrongness" of their word choice makes me twitch and anything that makes me twitch is a sin. The twichiness is how I know. Everything needs to be all correct at 90 degree angles with none of the sides touching. Pant pant."

"Ok thanks for sharing" :: real life bishop who heads diocese in real life makes addition to his "Crank File" ::

 

 

[AccountDeleted]

Eye rolling. St Paul doesn't say anything about touching the Host. 

Your "ministry" is what you do to serve God whether on parish grounds or off. One of the most popular forms of ministry for instance is prayer ministry where you choose a specific intention to devote prayer to for the rest of your life (or whatever period). You can participate in this ministry while ice fishing in the Antarctic Ocean should you wish.

This stuff is why I'm no longer a traditionalist in spite of attending Traditional Latin Mass for years. There's so much OCD, constipated immaturity and people who are wannabe bishops and armchair theologians  

"Interfaith is wrong, EENS!"

"You're doing Mass wrong, it needs to be like this ( insert personal preference)"

"There's so much to be appalled about in the world but I choose to be appalled about how other Christians describe the work they do! The vocabulary word used was wrong! The "wrongness" of their word choice makes me twitch and anything that makes me twitch is a sin. The twichiness is how I know. Everything needs to be all correct at 90 degree angles with none of the sides touching. Pant pant."

"Ok thanks for sharing" :: real life bishop who heads diocese in real life makes addition to his "Crank File" ::

 

 

​This.

And what really gets me is that what is often criticized is things that the Church actually allows. When a person volunteers for any ministry that the church allows, it seems grossly unfair to then judge them as somehow being inferior Catholics who are doing things 'wrong'!

I understand that some people want things the 'old way'. That's fine - they can just attend the trad EF and stay away from the NO, where they seem to get all hot and bothered and want to complain about everyone and everything and be more Catholic than the Catholic Church. Isn't there enough division already? Ordinary people just doing what the Church allows - let it be. We aren't supposed to be Catholic against Catholic, especially here, right? 

 

 

[dUSt]

​I would suggest reading the Old Testament prophets and St. Paul on liturgical abuse. Touching the Host as a lay man (without grave necessity) is sacrilege. 

​Phishy.

[CatherineM]

​I would suggest reading the Old Testament prophets and St. Paul on liturgical abuse. Touching the Host as a lay man (without grave necessity) is sacrilege. 

​Granted my last scripture course in seminary was over a year ago, but I'm pretty sure Jesus said take and eat, not take and eat this, but don't touch it with your hands or I'll smite you.