In his video 'What Are Laity Supposed to Be?', Bishop Robert Barron explores the universal call to holiness for all baptized Christians, emphasizing that the laity, like clergy and religious, are called to live out the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Drawing inspiration from Dorothy Day and Vatican II, Barron challenges the notion that these counsels are solely for spiritual elites. Instead, he highlights their relevance for laypeople: poverty as detachment from worldly goods like wealth, power, and honor; chastity as a rightly ordered sexual life rooted in love and selflessness; and obedience as attentiveness to God's higher voice amidst worldly distractions. He underscores the transformative power of these virtues, suggesting that if every Christian embraced them, society would be revolutionized—dismantling industries like pornography, combating human trafficking, and healing broken relationships. Ultimately, Barron calls for Christians to embody these counsels to sanctify and transform the world, fulfilling the mission envisioned by Vatican II.
Journal and reflect on the following
What does it mean to live out the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a layperson in today’s world?
In what areas of my life am I most attached to worldly goods such as wealth, power, or honor, and how can I practice greater detachment?
How can I ensure that my sexual life is rightly ordered to love, prioritizing the good of others and aligning with God’s design for unity and procreation?
What voices or influences in my life currently distract me from listening to and obeying God’s higher calling?
How might embracing a lifestyle of radical obedience to God change my personal relationships, career, and daily choices?
In what ways could a widespread adoption of these evangelical counsels by Christians impact societal issues such as human trafficking, pornography, or broken families?
How can I actively contribute to the mission of “Christifying” the world in my unique role as a layperson?
Discuss
Song - No Longer Slaves
Final Prayer Loving Father, You call us to a life of holiness, inviting us to follow You with hearts detached from the world, aligned in love, and obedient to Your voice. Yet, we confess our struggles—our attachments to wealth, power, and comfort, our missteps in love, and our reluctance to surrender fully to Your will. Lord, teach us the true meaning of poverty, that we may let go of all that binds us to this world and find our treasure in You. Grant us chastity of heart, that our love may always seek the good of others and reflect Your divine love. Instill in us the courage to be obedient, listening above all to Your call, even when the path is difficult.
Empower us, Lord, as laypeople, to live out these counsels in our daily lives—to bring Your light into our families, workplaces, and communities. May we transform the world by our witness, guided by Your Spirit and strengthened by Your grace. Help us to trust in Your plan, knowing that in surrender, we find true freedom. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our model and Savior, who lived poverty, chastity, and obedience perfectly for our sake. Amen.
