The Church in the Life of the Faithful

Does the Church play a major or minor role in the life of the faithful? Should it?

Each of us is called by Christ to follow in his footsteps, to live a life of Christ. He outlined what it means to live a life of Christ in the Beatitudes. Christ knows not all of us can easily leave our rich, luxurious lifestyles to follow him, but he calls us to give what we can. However, there are a select few who are called by Christ to follow him. These men join the clergy or become members of holy orders such as the Jesuits. There is also another group of the faithful which are not consecrated to Holy Orders known as the laity. These individuals "sanctify from within." They are the "front lines" of the Church's work towards salvation. They serve others in their daily lives, teach them, mentor them. They visit the elderly, they serve food to the homeless. They evangelize through their everyday family and professional activities.