Day 121: The Apostolate

"Christ, sent by the Father, is the source of the Church's whole apostolate"; thus the fruitfulness of apostolate for ordained ministers as well as for lay people clearly depends on their vital union with Christ. In keeping with their vocations, the demands of the times and the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, the apostolate assumes the most varied forms. But charity, drawn from the Eucharist above all, is always "as it were, the soul of the whole apostolate." CCC 864

In today's reading, the Catechism speaks of the Church's apostolate, of which Christ is the source. This is an apostolate for both "ordained ministers as well as lay people"—in other words, for ALL of us. We each have our part to play in God's salvation plan, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to us. To succeed in what God has given us to do, it is always important to respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting and stay united with the source of our salvation: Jesus Christ.

I like how the Catechism Companion, Vol II puts it:

Whatever Christians do in order to spread the Kingdom of heaven is an apostolate. The call of God to every Christian is of its nature a vocation to the apostolate as well. Every single one of us is called, wherever we are planted, to say, "How can I bring the Kingdom of God here? ... That vital relationship with Jesus Christ has to be at the heart of everything that we do." (p. 6)

This [icon] shows Christ at the Ascension with the Apostles, whom he sent out to preach the Gospel and baptize in the name of the Triune God (Mt 28:19). All Christians are called to partake in this mission. (p. 7)