Aids in Training // Episode 24
A Word from Our Outpost, with Joseph and Crystal Gruber
Wherein we finish up the Decree of the Lay Apostolate's chapter on formation for the apostolate. We talk about resources for training, of which there are just a ton, as well as the feeling that there is a ton, and the feeling that we don't know what we don't know so we don't know what to do next. We really recommend the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Code of Canon Law, Rerum Novarum, Mater et Magistra by John XXIII, anything by Pope Leo XIII, the encyclicals of Benedict XV, and to have time to go on merry jaunts following footnotes to new documents and new insights alongside other people. Mater et Magistra teaches that we need to look at our context, judge according to the principles we learn, and then act. We hope that as you pursue your ongoing formation, you take the time to look, judge, and act! 32. There are many aids for lay persons devoted to the apostolate, namely, study sessions, congresses, periods of recollection, spiritual exercises, frequent meetings, conferences, books, and periodicals directed toward the acquisition of a deeper knowledge of sacred Scripture and Catholic doctrine, the nourishment.of spiritual life, the discernment of world conditions, and the discovery and development of suitable methods.(8) These aids in formation take into consideration the various types of the apostolate in the milieu where it is exercised. For this purpose also centers or higher institutes have been erected, and they have already proved highly successful. The most holy council rejoices over projects of this kind which are already flourishing in certain areas, and it desires that they may be promoted also in other areas where they may be needed. Furthermore, centers of documentation and study not only in theology but also in anthropology, psychology, sociology, and methodology should be established for all fields of the apostolate for the better development of the natural capacities of the laity-men and women, young persons and adults.
About Podcast
Joseph and Crystal were Catholic missionaries for over a decade with FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, serving at MIT, UW Madison, Carnegie Mellon University, Western Washington University, and then at a parish in Jackson, Michigan. They're now the co-founders of Our Outpost Marriage Ministry, Inc., a marriage ministry seeking to awaken authentic Catholic culture through holy matrimony, equipping Catholic men and women through formation and accompaniment. Check out their work at https://ouroutpost.org/
This podcast serves as a place for sharing the transformational ideas, books, scripture passages, and people that we've seen impacting our apostolate for the better, in the hopes of serving other Catholic missionary disciples.