Work that is secular and lay

As we correspond to the call we have received from God, the good example we must give to co-redeem with Christ requires that you and I do work that is carried out in a lay and secular way. For ecclesiastical work, that is, work proper to ecclesiastics, there are already priests and religious. We do not do our work in churches, but in the heart of civil life, in the middle of the street. Hence we have the duty to be present in all human activities, with our example, with doctrine, and with our arms open to everyone.

Pious associations

I am happy to see the lay people who place themselves at the service of the Church and spend their lives working side by side with priests in the various pious associations of the faithful. But what the Lord is asking of us is a capillary apostolate, an apostolic radiation that penetrates every environment. We cannot lead a life that is lacking, mediocre, compromised. I don’t mean to say by this that the life of the faithful who work together with priests in ecclesiastical tasks is lacking; they also do a great work, although in a different way.