LAITY- LAYPERSON AS CHURCH
IN THE WORLD
This is the third part of the proclamation of the message: The ideal of
grace is not lived in isolation but in community. This talk is a call to be living and
working members of the Church community into which we have been incorporated by grace
through our Baptism.
God's plan is marvelous, but perhaps it seems to be something apart from us, a history of
another time. God continues to act; His plan of salvation is for today and for us. The
Church is the visible sign of Christ who lives on in history.
In Scripture, the Church is described in images rather than in rational terms only, more as a living reality than as rational. The Church as "Mystical Body" (1 Cor. 12:27) and as People of God (1 Peter 2:9-10) are key ideas of the whole Cursillo. I am a conscious and responsible part of the Church, which is the Sacrament of Salvation; we are the hands, eyes, feet, ears of Christ, to make Him present in the world.
Al1 the baptized—priests, religious, and laity—are the Church; there is a unity of mission though there is a diversity of functions. All have responsibilities springing from their Baptism (The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement, Nos. 371-373, pp. 144-145).
The main points to be made in this talk are that Christ did not intend merely to save individuals but to save the world, and for this He founded the Church to continue His mission to the world. As members of the Church, the laity have a specific mission to the world and in the world to be fully Christian. And in the transformation of their own lives, they are to penetrate and transform society through the power of the Gospel.
GENERAL COMMENTS
"Laity—Layperson as Church in the World" is the talk which presents to the participants their apostolic ideal. It presents to them the mission of the Church in the world and their part in that mission. It should awaken in them an enthusiasm for Christian action and Evangelization. Laity provides the framework for the rest of the lay talks which develop a concrete picture of how to be a Christian leader (an apostle) ˇn the Church (a Christian community in action).
Laity is the third ta1k of the Cursillo. The first talk—Ideal—--explains to the participants the need to have an ideal, something to live for that is adequate for their lives. The second talk—Grace—presents to them the only truly human ideal, the life of grace, a life of union with God. Laity grows out of these first two talks, because it considers how this ideal, which has been presented, can be effective in the world. It personifies the Christian ideal. It shows the laity how a concern for the world and its problems creates a desire to share the life of grace with all. By doing so, the Christian ideal and the living out of this ideal evolves to remake the world from its foundation.
The talk is visionary in nature. It presents the vision of God's plan for the world and the necessary role of the laity in that plan. It presents God’s call to the participants. The talk explains how the living out of the Christian ideal is meant to be part of the everyday experience of life. God has a place for each person in His scheme of building His Kingdom and expects each Christian to participate and do the tasks which He gives them to accomplish.
The lay talks of the Cursillo build upon "Laity—Layperson as Church in theWorld." They outline a program for each participant to follow in finding an effective place in the mission of the Church in the world. Holiness, Formation, and Evangelization, in addition to filling out some of the ideas in "Laity", present a program of ongoing formation for growing in effectiveness as a Christian apostle. "Leaders" sums up the Cursillo to that point by presenting the picture of what a lay apostle should be. The lay talks on Sunday outline an approach to Apostolic action in the world (Evangelization), what is needed for effectiveness, and shows the need for the participants to become part of, or develop a group in their environments directed to Christianizing that environment.
Above all, "Laity—Layperson as Church in the World" is a talk on the lay apostolate. It is not primarily a talk on the Church or a talk on the lay state. It is easy to get the talk out of focus by giving too full a treatment of the Church or by giving too full a treatment of the laity’s role. The Church should mainly be presented in its apostolic or missionary dimension so that the participant can see that being an apostle is part of living in the Church as a full member. The laity’s role also should be presented mainly in its apostolic dimension (as the evangelist). The point which has to be made about the laity’s role is that each layperson has to have an active part in the mission of the Church because each is a member of the Church and, therefore, has an apostolic responsibility. The laity, in other words, have a very particular function. It does not say everything a Christian should know, either about the nature of the Church or the role of the laity.
ATMOSPHERE
The atmosphere of the Cursillo at this point is still very much one of the head rather than the heart. The discussion will have picked up after the Grace talk, but it is still an exchange of ideas. We have not yet sought to reach their hearts.
Most will have begun to participate in the discussion, but some may still be holding back. The roles of the members of the groups have not yet been established, i.e., who will talk and when.
Ideal will have disturbed most of them, but Grace will probably have had a calming effect by presenting the potential of a better life.
"Laity—Layperson as Church in the World" will again disturb many participants as it points out the immense responsibility given each person through Baptism and Confirmation.
METHOD OF PREPARING THE TALK
This talk should be presented with liveliness and vitality and should not be a profound theological discourse. This instruction is the key to the whole approach of the talk. The participants do not need a lot of theory. They need to feel the importance of the apostolate to their life.
The talk presents a vision of God’s call to them and the purpose for their life as Christians. The speaker should show his or her own feeling of excitement over having a part in God’s kingdom—a part that is his/her very own and cannot be done by anybody else.
The speaker should avoid too much theory, steer clear of complexities and avoid discussing, at length, theological questions. To do so will keep the participants from confronting themselves. The participants should see and hear in the speaker the importance and excitement of the apostolate rather than hear a refined theory on the subject.
The speaker should stick to the simple points in the outline and develop them with living force. The "Laity—Layperson as Church in the World" talk is not designed to be a witness talk. Those hearing the presentation are to grasp the mission in the world, not necessarily how the speaker is living it out. They will hear this in the talks that follow. It must explain some important ideas: that the Church has been sent by Christ to give life to human society, that each layperson has a part in the mission of the Church and should be an active apostle. Each point should be developed and established by authoritative reference from the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, or from Pope Paul V1’s Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization in the Modern World, and Pope John Paul II’s Christifideles Laici.
The council documents present the apostolate an as obligation or as a responsibility where Evangelization presents the apostolate as a natural and inescapable consequence to accepting the Gospel and giving oneself to the kingdom so, although the two sources often present the same thought, they couch them in different terms. Both are fully valid to make the points in the outline. In addition, Christifideles Laici presents the same basic concepts as they apply to our world today.
"The Laity—Layperson as Church in the World" talk should give witness to the importance of Christianity and the apostolic life, but it should not be on a personal level.
The first day of the Cursillo is very general, and the approach of the outline is very careful in not telling the participant how to live as a Christian and an apostle. The participants at this point are wary of any attempts to convert them. The approach should be one of sketching the attractiveness and the greatness of the Christian ideal.The speaker must be careful of the kinds of examples used. It is good to show the need of people for Christ and the need for the apostolate, in stories. It is good to convey in a personal way what the apostolate means to the speaker, but not to illustrate how to be an apostle in the way the Evangelization and Study and Evangelization of Environments talks do. The speaker should be careful to avoid the impression that to be an apostle one must belong to some apostolic organization or participate in the liturgical or catechetical apostolate. The apostolate is being presented in the Cursillo in the context of an element and instrument of Prophetic Pastoral Action and, within this, of the Kerygmatic Ministry (The Fundamental Ideas of the Cursillo Movement, No. 652, p. 238). So the emphasis in this talk is in the call to be an apostle in the world. In other words, the speaker should avoid directing the participants through personal examples.
One of the key points to be made in the talk is the wide scope of the lay apostolate. Most participants will mentally tend to restrict the apostolate to doing Church things, to the point of not even hearing the term "world" in its broad meaning. Much misunderstanding can be prevented later on if the vision of transforming the societal world is clearly presented and understood during this talk. This problem is so pervasive that it may be a good idea for the speaker to leave the participants with a leading question concerning the place of the lay apostolate in everyday living. The group leaders could use the discussion as a time to clarify, if necessary, or use the tone of the discussion to provide the team with a better insight as to the flow of the Weekend—is the lay apostolate understood in its broad meaning?
As preparation for this talk, the speaker should study and become thoroughly familiar with the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, and Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity from the Documents of the II Vatican Council, as well as Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization in the Modern World, of which Chapters I and II and section number 70 could stand alone as a commentary on this talk, and Pope Paul II’s Christifideles Laici. An excellent book to use to increase the understanding of the lay apostolate is His Way by Father David Knight.
It is not necessary to quote all or most of the Papal documents and/or Scripture references. They are intended to provide the presenter with a broad view of the Church’s perspective regarding the place and role of the laity.
Length: Not more than 30 minutes.
LAITY-LAYPERSON AS CHURCH
IN THE WORLD
OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION: The great problem of today is that people are not living as a family— God's family.
2. GOD'S PLAN FOR THE WORLD
A. Our society is troubled by grave problems (examples).
B. Human solutions have failed miserably in solving these problems (more examples).
C. These problems are only symptoms. The root of the worlds troubles lies in its separation from God.
D. God works out His plan of salvation at a personal level and at a community Ievel.
(1) If the key to happiness for the individual lies in Jesus Christ (Read Phil. 3:7-9),
(2) Then the radical and only solution to the problems of the world also lies in Jesus Christ. (Read Col. 1:15-20.) It lies in all men living as we were told this morning in the Grace talk. (Christifideles Laici, Nos. 7 and 34.)
E. The ideal of grace is not lived in isolation, but in community. (Christifideles Laici, No. 29.)
3. WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A. It is not buildings of stone, but something alive—People.
B. It is not a mere religious society with legal ties, apart from people, but something visible and spiritual at the same time (Constitution on the Church, No. 8).
C. It is not the hostess of the world dispensing her bounty, but one more member within the group sharing life.
D. It is the same Christ as the one in history, the Body of Christ alive and real (Constitution on the Church, No. 7).
Is the people of God—Light, Salt and Ferment of the world (Constitution on the Church, No. 6).
F. It is born of the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the twelve. She is the normal, desired, most immediate and most visible fruit of this activity. The Church, then, is the reunion of those who believe, hope and love. It is the community of believers united in the spreading of hope, realizing the love of God and of people (On Evangelization in the Modern World, Nos. 13,15; Constitution on the
Church, No. 9).
4. THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
A. It is above all Jesus’ mission, His role of being an Evangelizer, that the Church is called on to continue (On Evangelization in the Modern World, No. 1 5). There is only one mission of the Church, of all its members—the Evangelization of the world.
(1) The Lord entrusts a great part of the responsibility of the Church’s mission to the lay faithful, in communion with all other members of the People of God. (Christifideles Laici, No. 32.)
Definition:
"The
Church evangelizes when she seeks to convert, solely
through
the divine power of the message she proclaims,
both
the personal and collective consciences of people,
the
activities inwhich they engage, and the lives and
concrete
milieux which are theirs (On Evangelization
in the Modern World, No. 18).
B. Within this unity of mission there is in the Church a diversity
of
functions or ministries (Constitution on the Church, No. 18).
5. THE SPECIFIC MISSION OF THE LAITY.
C. The words of Pope Paul VI to the cursillistas meeting inA. It derives from Baptism, from Confirmation, from the commandment and virtue of love (Gal. 3:27; Vatican 11: Constitution on the Church, No. 33; Decree on the Apostolate ofthe Laity, No. 3; Christifideles Laici, No. 33).
B. It is exercised in the world and for the world.
(2) The layperson, in making himself over into a Christian, reforms his attitudes. Being converted, he believes the Good News and makes it come alive (Constitution on the Church, NO. 42).
(3) The layperson transforms the temporal order in which he is immersed by
taking his own responsibility seriously (Decree on the Apostolate ofthe
Laity,
No. 7).
(4) The layperson realizes his human and Christian ideal in the world and in the Church by conforming his life to the image of Christ and by bringing this life to his temporal commitments at all levels: personal, family, professional, civic, socio-economic, political, etc. (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, No. 4).
We are called to be saints and to sanctify the world (Eph. 4:11-12).
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAITY’S MISSION.
A. It is personal
B. It is communal
C. It is a work of grace
D. It is ecclesial
E. It is apostolic—the apostolate does not consist only in word, but above all, in being
(1) a witness living Christianity with alI its consequences, and
(2) a Living Instrument—communicating our holiness in every situation in which God has placed us (Vatican 11, The Church in the Modern World, No. 1 8).
7. CONCLUSION.
A. This is what it
means to be a Christian living in the world: To
know how to change our
freedom into a springboard from
which we can go about
transforming the world around us in
Christ and according to
Christ in every moment and within
the normal flow of
life.
B. We are talking about being saints today, people who,
captivated by the Spirit, move out into the groups and
structures of the world courageously.
• People capable of taking the marvelous realities
of grace seriously.• People who can live fully as God's children.
• Brothers and sisters of Christ
• Temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17)
• People disposed to project Christ in all the
crossroads of life.• People who judge all the problems of life by
Christian criteria.• People who live in grace and by means of grace, with the most intense grace possible (2 Cor. 4:7).
C. People who rea1ize in their lives the beautiful definition
of a Christian given by Pope John XXIII:"The Christian is a joy—a joy for God and a joy for other people
(Phil. 4:4,10)"
LAITY-LAYPERSON AS CHURCH
IN THE, WORLD
1. INTRODUCTION: The great problem of today is that people are not
living as a
family – God’s family.
When we look at the many problems in our world today, we sometimes
shake our hea and ask why? Why is our society so burdened? Surely this cannot be
God’s plan for us. Unfortunately, God’s true plan for our world is constantly
being undermined because people have turned away from Him. We are not living as God’s
family. We are not treating each other as brothers and sisters. In addition, we are not
fulfilling our role as laypeople. We will discuss our role as laity in the
"Laity—Layperson as Church in the World" talk.
2. GOD'S PLAN FOR THE WORLD
A. Our society is troubled by grave problems. (Mention a few examples.)
B. Human solutions have failed miserably in solving
these problems. (The
examples given to state this point should relate to the problems mentioned
in A above.)
The following is an example:
The problems in our society seem never-ending. We have many programs and shelters for the poor and homeless set up in our cities and towns, yet we continue to see so many people on the streets. One reason this happens is because the information, the help, and the money they need has not filtered down to them. As a consequence, homelessness and poverty continue to exist and, in some cases, grow. We have clinics for substance abuse, but the drug are still waiting on the streets when the treatment ends. We have prisons for criminal offender to punish and rehabilitate them but the prisons themselves are so violent and overcrowded the many inmates leave the prison with more problems than when they were sent there. The are many more examples that could be stated, and we are all aware of them. If we concentrate on these problems we could become very depressed.
C. These problems are only symptoms. The root of the worlds troubles lies in separation from God.
These problerns are disturbing but we must understand that they are only symptoms. The root of our problems lies not in the symptoms but in the world’s separation from God. Our turning our back on God and attempting to solve all of our problems in the world without His assistance leads us to deeper problems and may ultimately lead to despair.
D. God works out His plan of salvation at a personal level and at a community level.
God has a plan for our salvation and that of the world. This plan for our salvation is for today, right now, and it is not only for us as individuals but for us as a community. A community that believes that the key to happiness for each individual lies in Jesus Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 3, he explains that all things are done according to God’s plan and decision; and God chose us to be His own people in union with Christ because of His own purpose, based on what He had decided from the very beginning.
Therefore the radical, and only, solution to the
problems of the world lies in Jesus Christ. lt lies in all people living as we were told
this morning by Fr./Deacon/Sr./Br._______’s Grace talk. It lies in all of us living
according to God’s plan, individua1ly, and as members of a community. The solution
a1so lies in living with others in our communities, not alone, but together with Jesus. We
regularly touch the lives of people in our families, work places, social gatherings,
churches, and other environments. It is esséntial that we understand that this ideal of
Grace not be lived in isolation, but in community as Church.
3. WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A. It is not buildings of stone, but rather something alive... it is people. We have been talking about Church for the last few minutes. The question comes to mind—what is the Church and what makes it what it is? When we look at a Church from the outside, we see a building made of stone and bricks. Some with stained glass windows and a cross on the roof. This ěs a visible sign that this building has some religious significance. It is similar to what we see when we look at each other from the outside. We see bodies and faces. The shells that hold us together. This is a visible sign that we are seeing another human being. But inside our bodies we find our hearts and brains and all the other organs and tissue that enable us to live each day. Without these parts we would not be alive. It is the same with the Church. It is what is inside the building of stone and brick that makes the Church come alive. It is the people who pray and worship there that makes up the Church, the body of Christ.
B. The Church is not a mere religious society with legal ties, apart from people, but something visible and spiritual at the same time. It is not the hostess of the world dispensing her bounty. Rather, the Church is one more member within the group sharing life. lt is a visible and spiritual sign of our shared faith and love of Christ. It is the same Christ as the one in history, the body of Christ... a1ive and real.
The Church is the people of God—the Light, salt and leaven of the world. It is born of the evangelizing activity of Jesus and the twelve. It is the normal, desired and most immediate and most visible fruit of this activity.
The Church then is the reservoir of those who believe, hope, and love. It is this community of believers united in the spreading of hope and realizing the love of God, and the love of other people.
[Presenter may provide an example of what it means to be Church. The speaker should give example not personal witness.]
The following is an example:
When Pope John Paul II visited Colorado a few years ago, he spoke to the thousands of young people gathered there. A young woman was interviewed following the Popes visit. She was asked how it felt to be present with so many people to hear the Popes message. She said it was good to be encouraged by the Pope, but it was so nice to meet other young people from different backgrounds and regions of the country, yet sharing the same faith. She said, Here... its just one big Church.
This statement says it all. This is what the Church
is all about... people. People alive with faith and spirit. So it only follows that I am
the Church, you are the Church, and together we are the Church.
4.THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH.
In addition, Pope Paul VI, in his apostolic exhortation, On Evangelization in the Modern World provides us with a definition of evangelization: it says:
The Church evangelizes when she seeks to convert, solely through the divine power of the message she proclaims, both the personal and collective consciences ofpeople, the activities in which they engage, and the lives and concrete milieux which are theirs (On Evangelization in the Modern World, p. 18).
Plainly stated, evangelization is a process whereby others are, through divine power, converted in mind and heart, and then live out the Christian ideal in their families, work places, and other environments seeking to bring others to the same consciousness.
B. Within this unity of mission, there is in the Church a diversity of functions or ministries.
As we now understand, the Church and all of those who make up the Church, have a unity of mission. Yet, within this unity of mission there is a diversity offunctions or ministries, each essential in its own right, yet joined necessarily with others in order to accomplish the ultimate mission (the evangelization of the world). Each function or ministry cannot accomplish the mission without the assistance of the others.
The diverse functions or ministries of the Church are four-fold:
(1) The first function is that of the hierarchy. The pope and bishops, who make up the hierarchy, teach, sanctify, and govern. They represent Christ who is the head of the Body;
(2) The second function is that of the priests. The priests, diocesan or of a particular order (Jesuit, Dominican, etc.) act in communion with the pope and bishops. They are ministers of the Word and the Sacraments. They have the additional role of building up the ecclesial (Church) community. They provide for the spiritual needs of the entire community.
(3) The third function of ministry is that of the religious. The religious are made up of the sisters and brothers who have chosen to serve God in a number of various ministries. For example, teaching, caring for the poor, aiding the sick or praying for the world in cloistered monasteries/convents. They provide a witness to the entire Church, the hierarchy, the priests and laity, of a life totally devoted to God.
(4) Finally, the fourth function or ministry, is that of the laity. The laity is comprised of the vast majority of the members of the Church. The laity witness to the Church, and to the world by bringing Christ to all of the structures (environments) of life and the world. Each acting in accordance with his/her unique talents given to him/her by God.
We are all, each at his/her own level, co-responsible, with the bishop, priests, and religious for the uniquemission of the Church. In 1 Cor. 12:4-6, St. Paul writes: There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit gives them. There are different ways of serving, but the same Lord is served. There are different abilities to perform services, but the same God gives ability.
So we may perform various and diverse functions, but all is directed to the same mission.
C. We have been called to the Christian vocation and
sent with the message of Christ to evangelize the world. This role or function as an
evangelizer is not an incidental or luxury of the life of a Christian, rather it is the
only true response to the call. The redemptive work of Jesus extends to every aspect of
life. It extends to our families, friendships, work situations, and social gatherings.
Remember, there is no other solution to the problems of the world.
5. THE SPECIFIC MISSION OF THE LAITY
Now that we understand the mission of the Church and that within the Church there are various functions and ministries, we can address the specific mission of the laity, and the měssion of each layperson.
A. The mission of each layperson is derived from our Baptism, Confirmation, and from the common element and virtue of love.
St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians (3:27) says: You were baptized in union with Christ and now you are clothed so to speak with the life of Christ himself.
B. The mission, this role of the laity in the mission of the Church, is to be exercised in the world and for the world. We cannot avoid the world and perform our role only with those with whom we feel comfortable. It is not solely a role performed within the Church or its associations and parochial communities.
C. Pope Paul VI, when he addressed the cursillistas at the 1966 World Ultreya in Rome, sketched a four-part program that is valid for all of the laity:
First,
the permanent task of the laity will ever be the insertion of the Gospel in life, by means of a personal encounter and friendship with God, and in communion with our brothers and sisters. [In addition, Pope John Paul II, in his apostolic #32 exhortation, Christifideles Laici, states:ln the context of Church mission, then, " the Lord entrusts a great part ofthe responsibility to the lay faithful, in communion with all other members of the People of God."
Second,
the laity, in making themselves over into Christians, reforms their attitudes. Being converted, they believe the God News and make it come alive.Third,
the laity transform the temporal order in which they are immersed by taking their own responsibility seriously, andFourth,
the laity realize their human and Christian ideal in the world and in the Church by conforming their lives to the image of Christ and by bringing their lives to their temporal commitments at all levels: personal, family, professional, civic, socio-economic, political, and so on.Simply stated, Pope Paul VI reminded us that we, as laity, have a very important role in the mission of the Church. As was stated earlier, the laity make up the largest percentage of the people of God. We are obliged to accept our task to be the messengers of the Gospel, and to bring that message into the world as individuals and together with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We become not only bearers of the Gospel, but people who actually live its message. We must take this responsibility very seriously. We bring the message of Christ to every aspect of our lives—without exception. It is a message to be lived everywhere and with everyone.
We need only remember that I am the Church, you are the Church, and
together we are the Church, the people of God.
6. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAITY’S MISSION
A. It is personal - each of us has a different role to play. Each of us has different gifts and talents that we have received from God. When we are able to recognize these gifts in ourselves we are able to live as Christ desires us to live, and to share our love for Him with others.
B. It is communal - the mission of the laity is not solely an individual mission. It is a mission that is performed and accomplished in communion with those who believe as we do. We join our gifts and talents with those of others and become a more effective force in the work. Our communion with others makes us stronger and helps us to persevere in living out our responsibility as laity.C. It is work of grace - our mission is a gift from God. His help, encouragement, love, and spirit shows us the way. (The grace of God strengthens us to perform our role as messengers without His Word.
D. It is ecclesial - this means that it is the work of the whole Church. No one is excluded from this mission. It is truly the work of God and His people.
E. It is Apostolic - this apostolate of being the bearers of the Good News does not consist of word alone. Above all it consists in being a living witness of one who is living out his/her Christianity with all of its consequences.
It is also in being a living instrument—we are called to communicate our holiness, our living Out of the message, in every situation in which God has placed us. We are called to put on the mind and heart of Jesus wherever we are.
The mission of the laity, our role in the Churchs
mission, can be summed up in this short story. Following World War 11, two Air Force
pilots returned to the site of heavily allied bombing raids. There they found a Church
that had been severely damaged. Amongst the rubble they found pieces of a statue of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. They put the pieces together as best as they could. When they had
nearly completed the project, they realized that the hands were still missing. They were
unable to find them. Rather than leave the statue as it was, they made a plaque that read:
He has no hands but yours. We are truly the hands and feet of Jesus. To reach out to the
world and be His witnesses. We become the living witnesses through which the world can
recognize that Christ is alive today. He is alive through and in us.
7. CONCLUSION
This is what it means to be a Christian, a layperson, living in the world today. We take the freedom we have and transform it into a source of energy from which we can go about accomplishing the mission of the Church—our mission—the transformation of the world. We bring Christ with us wherever we go and into whatever we do in our normal everyday lives.
We are talking about being saints today, people who, captivated by the Spirit, move out into the groups and structures of the world courageously. We are the people who are capable of taking the marvelous realities of Grace seriously. We are people who can live fully as God’s children, as brothers and sisters ofChrist, and as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16-17). We are people disposed to project Christ in all the crossroads of life. We are people who judge all the problems of life by Christian criteria, and we live in grace.
Then, we will be people who realize in their lives the beautiful definition of a Christian stated by Pope John XXIII: The Christian is a joy—a joy for God and a joy for other people (Phil. 4:4,10). We can be that joy in the world!