In this video, Father John Hardon discusses the importance of the lay apostolate and the role of every Catholic in spreading the faith. He emphasizes that announcing Jesus Christ openly and professedly is a divine obligation (0:38).
Key points from the talk include:
- The Necessity of Professing Faith (0:50): Faith comes by hearing, and sharing one’s faith is a divinely ordained means for others to receive it (1:17).
- Universal Direction of the Announcement (3:14): The announcement of Jesus Christ is directed to everyone—unbelievers to embrace the faith, and believers to deepen their understanding, strengthen their conviction, and incite fervent following of Christ.
- The Lay Apostolate’s Critical Importance (7:24): New issues and grave errors threaten religion, the moral order, and society, making the lay apostolate more crucial than ever in Christian history (7:32).
- Temporal Order and God’s Plan (11:22): Everything in the temporal order, including family, culture, economics, and politics, is closely related to man’s final purpose of existence and God’s plan (12:22).
- Impact of Original Sin on Society (22:53): Original sin has not only affected individuals but has also deeply darkened and weakened human society as a whole, leading to widespread ignorance, weakness of will, and sinful tendencies (23:02).
- Distinctive Responsibility of the Laity (20:53): The laity is responsible for renewing and restoring the temporal order according to the divine plan of salvation (21:01).
- Supernatural Charity as Fundamental Virtue (38:29): Supernatural charity is the fundamental virtue that should animate lay apostles, as Christ declared that love for one another identifies His disciples (38:47).
- Urgency of Works of Mercy (44:20): There is an urgent need for the practice of works of mercy due to the unprecedented measure of suffering in the modern world (44:29). These works are to be universal, reaching all people and all needs without discrimination (47:10).
- Justice and Charity (52:07): The demands of justice must be satisfied first, as what is due in justice should not be offered as a gift of charity; the causes of evil, not just their effects, should be removed (52:35).
