THE CALL OF THE LAITY AND EVANGELISATION.
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The call of the Christian is one of service, to build up the Body of Christ. It is based on a Servant Centred Spirituality which has at its core a call to holiness through a life of prayer and Eucharistic involvement. This is achieved by participation in the life of the Christian Community and expressed at the Liturgy. {"Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity” No 1 # 4} The role model for the Christian as disciple, one who enters into a Servant Centred Spirituality, is Christ Himself.

Ministry and Mission are central to the life of the Christian because Jesus commissioned a ministry to his followers. At the commissioning of his disciples Jesus says: “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you” {Jn.20:21}. This is understood as a Servant Spirituality with Jesus as the model.

This ministry passes to the New People of God, those who are disciples. It can be described as a royal priesthood and the vocational call of all the baptised. The importance of the Vatican Two documents, “The Church Today” and the “Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity” is to stress that there is a ministry which the Church must give to the world {if it is to be faithful to its mission}. This exhortation is to the lay man and lay woman to play their part in building up the Body of Christ.

“It is clear that from the very origins of Christianity, the laity-as individuals, families and entire communities-shared in spreading the faith”. {“Redemptoris Missio” John Paul 11 1990}.

_Céilí Community offers this opportunity for lay men and women to exercise this Ministry within the Church.

CEILI COMMUNITY.

While each person is called from their own Parish or Diocese, the invitation in Servant Centred Spirituality is to a wider church community. “The widening of horizons is all the more necessary in the present situation in which its increasing frequency of population shifts the development of active solidarity and the ease of communication no longer allow any one part of society to live in isolation” {Decree on the Laity No.3 # 10}. This calling is to have concern for the people of God scattered so widely in today’s society.

The call of Vatican Two and the recent Papal Documents on Evangelisation is for greater training for this task of proclaiming the Gospel. Céilí Community provides ongoing training and formation, to enable people engage with their Catholic faith and to help them communicate this faith effectively to others. This helps to foster and develop a practical spirituality that enables the laity to participate in the Mission of Evangelisation. Céilí tries to develop the gifts and talents of each individual within the context of a Servant Centred Spirituality.

Céilí calls each person to proclaim and announce the Good News of the Kingdom. The method of doing so depends on the role that each person has within the Community.

​This Servant Centred Spirituality calls for us to share in the announcing of the Good News. Its centre is a life of prayer enabling Christ to proclaim the Good News in and through our ministry. To be in Ministry and sent on Mission within this context is to actively engage with one’s faith in prayer and proclamation.

“In addition to re-evangelising, the Church must continue its mission of bringing Christ’s Gospel to the millions who do not know it. Lay missionary work is conspicuous today when it is ever more necessary. Many lay missionaries including married couples are ready……to work ….in mission” {Christifideles Laici John Paul 11 # 35}.

The particular Charism and Apostolate of Céilí Community gives our laity their distinctive mandate and authority to proclaim the Gospel.

_BEING A LAY PERSON IN CEILI COMMUNITY.

We are both Primary School Teachers and as such we were very happy and contented in our jobs. We had stability and all the trappings of financial security. However, there was always that longing within us to join a community and work full time in evangelisation. From the very first moment we met and worked with Céilí Community we loved it.

Being part of Céilí Community has given us a great sense of working for Jesus. We are aware of the focus it has brought to our lives and the privilege of sharing the Good News with people throughout Ireland. It has given us a great freedom and opportunity to share our faith.

Being part of a praying community has added a real dimension to our spiritual journey. It is so good being able to share in a daily routine of Mass and prayer. This structured Eucharistic prayer life has added to our motivation and provides a real basis for our ministry.

There has been a lot of emphasis recently on various types of ministry, particularly that of collaboration. There is a great need for a physical expression of this collaboration, namely that of priest, religious and lay people co-operating together for the building up of the Kingdom. Céilí community affords us that expression and helps us to be part of this prophetic lifestyle.

Céilí Community has equipped us for the task of evangelisation. It has also challenged us to utilize talents and gifts that we never thought we had.

We have no regrets about joining Céilí Community. We think that being a member of Céilí Community is the most exciting and challenging thing you can do.

Angela and Paul.