In this final session of his Lay Apostolate conference series, Fr. John Hardon, S.J. emphasizes the urgent, God-given vocation of the laity to engage in the apostolic life (55:10). He delineates three fundamental forms of apostolic training necessary for Catholics in the modern world: evangelization to nourish the mind with truth, sanctification to align the human will with God’s, and the Christian renewal of the temporal order (3:13-4:03). Fr. Hardon warns that without such training, believers are ill-equipped to combat the pervasive influence of secularism, media, and moral relativism that currently dominates American society (5:07-6:17, 28:48).
A key component of this mission is the development of authentic Christian dialogue (15:20). Fr. Hardon underscores that effective apostolate requires discipline, specifically recommending the practice of writing to tame the "wild animals" of the mind and ensure that one’s words are purposeful rather than idle (21:03-24:42). He stresses that the laity must possess a deep, intellectual grasp of Catholic doctrine to courageously defend the faith against objections, noting that we have a moral responsibility to share the truth with those who are starving for it (26:44-27:13, 56:43).
The session concludes with a powerful exhortation on the necessity of Christian charity and mercy (12:01, 14:02). Fr. Hardon reminds parents that their selfless love is the primary vehicle for transmitting faith to their children, warning against the spiritual destruction caused by contraception (12:34-13:08). He ultimately calls for the laity to embrace their crosses, cooperate with the grace of Jesus Christ, and actively work to extend His kingdom, stating that this commitment is not merely an option but a lifelong, binding duty (55:26, 1:01:21-1:02:25).
