“For two and a half years I was a Jesuit, living religious life and experiencing what it was like to be part of the Church in more of a public capacity. I had many opportunities to serve people from all walks of life in different places. I had to get used to people calling me brother or father, though I was neither. It was kind of nice to be an “official” representative of the Catholic Church as a religious. But after a long discernment I decided to leave religious life in order to pursue the vocation of marriage and family. The biggest question for me was, How can I continue to serve the Church as a lay person? I wondered if not being a religious anymore would put a damper on being able to minister to people fully.
“In an age when the Catholic Church is struggling to keep her voice relevant and prominent within society, the Catholic world sees the Church hierarchy at the fore of the effort. It is the bishops and priests on the news, writing the letters, and speaking out against complacency and the rise of secularism. Sure, they have the duty to shepherd the flock, but non-laypersons — including bishops, priests, religious, and seminarians — make up only 0.1% of the world Catholic population. The remaining 99.9% — laity — also have a vital responsibility to their role, as the Catechism says, “in the front line of the Church.” I was bothered that we seem to hear little about the lay vocation.”
… Read the full article at BustedHalo.com