The mutual sharing of faith-filled lives
The statue of Irish martyrs Blessed Margaret Ball (d. 1584) and her grandson-in-law, Blessed Francis Taylor (d. 1621), commemorates heroic laypeople who remained steadfast to the faith through vicious persecution.
When the Mass was outlawed, and priests were hunted down and killed, many of the lay faithful risked their own lives to protect them. Blessed Margaret provided a place of safety for priests in Dublin, only to be betrayed by her own son. She ultimately died in prison rather than reject the truth of the Catholic faith.
That’s an extreme example of how the laity can render assistance to priests, but even routine acts carry greater meaning than we may know. Our prayers for priests, participation in parish life, and our witness to the faith itself all have value. Even amid our trials, we help our priests as they minister to us.
St. John Paul II describes how laypeople contribute to the ongoing formation of the priests who shepherd them:
“The very exercise of the pastoral ministry leads to a constant and fruitful mutual exchange between the priest’s life of faith and that of the laity. Indeed, the very relationship and sharing of life between the priest and the community, if it is wisely conducted and made use of, will be a fundamental contribution to permanent formation, which cannot be reduced to isolated episodes or initiatives, but covers the whole ministry and life of the priest.
“The truth is that the Christian experience of persons who are simple and humble, the spiritual enthusiasm of people who truly love God, the courageous application of the faith to practical life by Christians involved in all kinds of social and civil tasks – all these things are embraced by the priest who, while illuminating them with his priestly service, at the same time draws from them a precious spiritual nourishment.
“Even the doubts, crises and hesitations in the face of all kinds of personal or social situations, the temptation to rejection or despair at times of pain, illness, death: All the difficult circumstances which people find in their path as Christians are fraternally lived and sincerely suffered in the priest’s heart. And he, in seeking answers for others, is constantly spurred on to find them first of all for himself.
“And so the entire People of God, in each and every one of its members, can and should offer precious assistance to the ongoing formation of its priests.”
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Team Barnabas 