It has always emphasized the place and role of the laity in the mission of the Church to evangelize, and in this, the Church also reaffirmed during its Jubilee celebration of 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Church is not just a clerical body; it is a communion of all the baptized who are called to share in the redemptive work of Christ. Within this ecclesial context, lay movements and organizations have become invaluable expressions of faith, missionary zeal, and pastoral creativity. In increasing cooperation with lay initiatives, the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society, created to advance and support missionary work in and out of the Philippines, is even more active. Given the increasing challenges and opportunities for the missionary endeavor, it is very timely to look into the relevance and effectiveness of lay movements in the mission of the Church and their cooperation with LRMS.

1. The Ecclesial Iden0ty and Missionary Vocation of the Laity

There was, however, a beginning of a momentous change at Vatican II concerning the Church's perception of the laity. The laity, according to Lumen Gentium (LG 31), "are made sharers in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ." This ecclesiological vision sees the lay faithful as active co-participants with the Church in her missions. Lay vocation is inherently characterized as missionary by Pope John Paul II in 1988 in the Encyclical Christifideles Laici: "The call to holiness is a call to mission" (CL 17). This foundational view implies that lay people do not simply serve as auxiliaries to the clergy; they are full evangelization partners in areas of ministry that are difficult to reach with ordained ministers. These arenas include family, work life, and, in particular, political and social service situations. Being non-ecclesial, the mission extends into every human circumstance.

The missionary vocation of laity is never an optional extra but is constitutive of one's identity as a Christian. In contexts like the Philippines, where Catholicism is culturally ingrained, lay people become the face and hands of the Church. Forming lay people into missionaries means fostering a culture in which every baptized person views himself as a missionary disciple.

2. Lay Movements as Expressions of Charisms and Evangelizing Dynamism

Movements of the laity, according to the ecclesial or local character of the la]er, are manifestations of certain charisms by the Holy Spirit for Church-building. In his Encyclical Evangelii Gaudium (EG 130), Pope Francis affirms, "The Holy Spirit also enriches the entire evangelizing Church with different charisms." Oftentimes, these movements are a renewal of fervor and energy for evangelization and creativity, giving life to communal gatherings that complement parish structures in the life of the Church.

Couples for Christ and the Neocatechumenal Way, to name a few, have all greatly contributed toward the formation of missionary disciples and the launching of mission outreach programs to faraway and international lands from the very beginning. These movements often have built-in formation programs, a missionary spirituality, and a commitment to both catechesis and social transformation. Movements arising from the laity provide a model for discipleship that is both rooted and itinerant, structured but free, following the movement of the Spirit. The power of these lay movements rests in their capacity to contextualize the Gospel and mobilize ordinary Catholics to carry out an extraordinary mission. Their witness, which transcends globalism and moral relativism, stands as a formidable story of faith in action.

3. Synergy Between Lay Movements and the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society (LRMS)

It is a vision of mission shared by the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society, inspired by the martyr missionary saint, Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, and such a vision of mission as it is to be penetrative, but now to a collaborative mission. As a society, it derives its basis from Filipino spirituality and missionary identity, but its admission of the lay involvement appears to be an outright reversal from the traditional mission paradigms. The mission is no longer reserved for the clergy or the religious but is now to be treated as a happening place for lay people, trained as required, and prepared for it. The lay movements bring people, resources, formations, and energy for their enterprise. In the last years, the LRMS has found ways of having mutual collaboration with some lay groups in the mission territories in programs of mutual formation, mission exposure trips, joint social projects, and shared catechetical endeavors. This is both a practical and ecclesiologically sound form of synergy. It has been stated by Redemptoris Missio (RM 71) that "Cooperation among the various forms of missionary activity is necessary." So, with such collaboration, the mission strategy becomes more integrated and holistic. Walking together, both LRMS and lay movements can be exemplars of Synodality – walking together in discernment, mission, and witness. Inclusive and co-responsible, therein lies the mission of the Church. The cooperation between LRMS and lay movements symbolizes what might come from a form of shared leadership, intercultural mission, and renewed ecclesial dynamism reminiscent of the early Church.

4. Challenges and Future Directions for Lay Movements in Mission Contexts

Wherever lay movements seem to hold great promise, there also lie challenges. Chief among them is the lack of theological formation, the problematic integration into diocesan or parish structures, over-dependence on charismatic leadership, and sometimes issues of internal division or elitism. Also, in an increasingly secularized society, the ebbing appeal for the conventional forms of religiosity causes lay movements to forever experience a need for appropriation. However, hope shines in the future. As reiterated in the Final Document of the Synod on Young People (2018), the Church has to entrust its lay youth in leadership. The recently concluded Youth for Christ (YFC) ICON 2025's theme, ANCHORED, makes resounding relevance to this call. It foregrounds the importance of anchoring the youth in Christ for a missionary tomorrow. Lay movements, particularly youth-led, can become anchor points of renewal, formation, and evangelization in our fast-changing world.

The Church must support lay movements through theological formation, mentoring, and structured collaboration. In the best possible conditions, lay movements can be seen not just as an aide to the mission envisaged by the Church but rather as torchbearers to the frontline in the mission itself. With the growing understanding within the Church of the very concept of Synodality, participation, and mission, the relevance of the lay movement will increase. Indeed, no one can underestimate the relevance and importance of lay movements in the Church's mission and collaboration with the Lorenzo Ruiz Mission Society. Lay movements are going to be all out for the Church's evangelizing efforts. These are all put together at the presence of an ecclesial identity, inspired by distinct charisms, empowered through collaboration, and thrust towards future challenges for the mission. As the Church navigates a complex modern world, these movements open doors for renewal, participation, and deeper communion.

Events such as the Youth for Christ ICON 2025 sow the seeds of missionary identity anew, "anchoring" future generations in Christ and commihng them to the mission of His Church. The importance of these movements extends beyond merely fostering individual faith; they serve as catalysts for communal transformation, advocating for justice, and promoting the dignity of all people in society. By recognizing the vital role of lay movements in the Church's mission, we can better appreciate their contributions in shaping a more vibrant and engaged ecclesial community, equipped to respond to the needs of the world in the spirit of the Gospel. Thus, as we move forward, we must embrace the collaborative spirit of the Church, empowering both laity and clergy to work hand in hand for the greater glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom on earth.

In 1996, Pope John Paul II expressed in his message to all the Catholic Charismatics. "I see this as an expression of the communion which links you with the Successor of Peter and the universal Church, a communion which you You represent communities of the Charismatic Movement from around the world, which, in their variety, bear witness to the spiritual gifts which the Holy Spirit is bestowing on the Church even in our own day" (cf. Christifideles Laici, n. 24) In these words, I feel deeply touched because the charismatic movements are linked to the mission of St. Peter and the movements themselves are a sublime gift of the Holy Spirit to Christ & His followers. I had an experience of what is to be "charismatic" when I was given an opportunity to have my exposure in CFC/YFC international convention held in General Santos City on April 24-27, 2025.

Last month of March when I heard that CFC will be having a gathering in that place I freely volunteered myself. Was I curious about CFC (Couples for Christ)? and my answer is yes but if I was asked: what made me excited? Let me tell you a short story. When I was in grade school I was really curious about the phenomenon of emerging religions. And since I was always curious and excited to listen to verses of the Scriptures, I used to attend Bible studies and Bible expositions. Because of this, I even attended Protestant gatherings. I even experienced going to Luneta Park and had our praise and worship gatherings. As a young person, attending such Bible expositions and songs at the park was too weird for me. Instead of having a solemn songs just like what I used to hear in the Catholic Church, they all had animation songs. I felt I was attending a concert. But what really caught my attention was that, they were able to recruit new members to the group especially the young ones. They were so active attending their praise and worship and when I asked one of my friends who is not a Catholic, I asked her, why are you so active attending their praise and worship? Her answer was very simple. “I found peace here, I found new friends, comfort and happiness. I also enjoy playing different instruments every time I attend their praise and worship gathering." When I heard her answer I was just laughing and Isaid to myself: "it is all nonsense." Later on I just realized maybe she had a point.

In those years of my Bible curiosity, the Catholic priesthood crossed my mind. Are there things that seems lacking in us in leading our people going back to God. I have a lot of Catholic friends who were active serving in the Church and now turned into Protestant and when I asked them about the reason why they left our Catholic faith, it seems that they have a common answer, "I found peace and comfort here!" Then I started asking myself how can I apply all my learnings in Theology. How can I properly evangelize the people. If I am going to evangelize them perhaps another question that I should ask. Is my knowledge enough to evangelize? Do I need to be more theological. Anyway, the experiences that I had in CFC has led me to broaden my horizon. It led me to be more opened to the new perspective. I can say somehow that CFC helped to realize that there is something more outside the seminary, outside the school of theology. Honestly at first I cannot really understand how CFC works. Being with them was attending one of the Christian denominations. But when I came to experience how they do things in the Catholic Charismatic way. I was so amazed. I was amazed of the young people who came from a different places locally and internationally who willingly traveled to attend the CFC convention. 

Coming back to Manila, I tried to reflect on what I had experience at the YFC ICON Conference in General Santos City, there came a question in my mind and that question was: "how did I arrive to the point where I became biased with any charismatic movement? Then I began to review what I have learned when I was in Philosophy years in our subject in the philosophy of religion. I remember, we watched the documentary about the life of Rev. Jim Jones who was the founder of the “People’s temple.” This happened in the mid 70’s. He was charismatic person. He was able to convert thousands of people in the United States and he also started with the family and he was able to convince them that it is also similar to Catholicism and all religion is the same but God. Providentially has chosen People’s temple to bring them to salvation. When he became very famous then things had changed. He abused his power and he was involved to sexual abuse, money laundering, scam and he was even convicted for drug addiction. He led his people into exile and eventually led his people into the massacre. There is also the same case like the case of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy who is the leader of KOJC. He was accused of sexual abuse and money laundering. He was using his own founded religion to scam a lot of people. Why I am mentioning about this? Because of my biases of the charismatic group. The younger generation of today are easy prey for recruitment by different sects and the primary reason behind it is the lack of guidance from their families. These religious groups have a "flowering mouth." They keep on promising younger people that when they join to their sect they will be able to look for a family who will take care of them. They keep on promising a comfort to them which their family cannot give and perhaps this is one of the reasons many young people where convinced to join them. These religious group, instead of leading the people to be more closer to God, they ended up like they are destroying their lives. 

Reflecting on these things I asked myself what about the CFC? How does CFC helped me to understand what it means to be a charismatic catholic group? When I attended CFC, my perspective has changed. In fact, I even felt ashamed because they even practice more the Catholic fatih. It seems that it is very easy for them to recruit more young people which is actually a big help to spread the Catholic faith. Karol Wojtyla in his book “Familiaris Consortio” he stated that faith must start to developed in the family who is considered as the starting part of the society. This is actually true because I personally have noticed that if there is an individual who is facing crisis we always start to ask, where is his family? or what kind of family he/she has. CFC is teaching me to understand the value of what it means to be a family. I was also amazed when I came to know that some members of the CFC, they came from broken families and then little by little because of CFC, they were able to rebuild their families. CFC is not just a simple Catholic charismatic group, but they are Catholics who will remind us to understand the Christian value of a family. CFC is the new face of evangelization starting in a family. In the world of secularization and modernity, it seems that our ability to evangelize is continously falling. Pope Benedict XVI said “We have entered again into the dark age” and this includes the Church which seems loosing its capacity to evangelize the people. CFC is actually a great help to the whole church. Their vibrant enthusiasm in spreading the Gospel starting in the family is actually a new face for us to understand again our identity as a christian. CFC made me proud of my identity as a catholic. It motivates me to study more about our faith. CFC has challenged me in a positive way of course and that is how to live the gospel and how to share it to others. If someday I will still be given a chance to participate again for the next activity of CFC, it will always be my pleasure to accept it because I know that it will help me to develop my faith and belief.