Inspiring New Book Asserts Power of Lay Vocations

8/28/2011 - 11:31 AM PST

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Encouraging Volume from Renowned Catholic Theologian Michael Novak and Businessman-Philanthropist Bill Simon, Jr., to Debut on September 13

Los Angeles, CA (August 28, 2011) - Driving home the message that the Catholic lay faithful are dramatically transforming the nature of Church affairs, renowned theologian Michael Novak and businessman-philanthropist William E. Simon, Jr., offer a message of hope and inspiration with accounts of �regular Catholics� revitalizing their own spiritual lives, their local communities, and by extension the Church at large. Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation offers unique insights and motivation to those who aspire to serve God and practical guidance on how to foster a deeper, more fulfilling interior life in preparation for lay church ministry.

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The book traces the shift in the Church toward greater lay engagement consistent with the original vision of the Second Vatican Council. In Living the Call, Novak and Simon chronicle the lives of nine lay persons serving the Church in diverse and important ways. They explain how these individuals discovered their calling and reveal how they have gone about transforming themselves and the world around them.

�Every Christian has the right and the duty to participate in the Church�s evangelical mission to spread the Gospel,� explained co-author Bill Simon. �We thought it was important to explain the many ways that mission is being lived today and to encourage more people to join a movement that is bearing great fruit for the Kingdom.�

Given the precipitous decline in priestly vocations in the U.S. since 1965 � the number of priests has fallen by some 30,000 while the number of Catholics has risen by about 20 million � tens of thousands of laypeople have stepped up to serve in a variety of new ministries. Never before in the history of the Church have laypeople been asked to do so much and the opportunities for spiritual fulfillment been so great. How are we doing and what effect is this having on our Church? Novak and Simon provide the answers in Living the Call.

The first part of the book tells the personal stories of nine faithful laypeople now serving the Church in new and diverse ways. How did they find their calling? What do their roles demand of them? How do they serve their communities? To lay the groundwork for even more lay vocations, the second part of Living the Call offers practical advice and reflections. How can we enter the presence of God? What forms of prayer can best refresh our minds and deepen our souls? What readings can we turn to from Scripture and the Church Fathers to bring ourselves toward holiness?

Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation

Authors: Michael Novak and William E. Simon, Jr.
Publisher: Encounter Books www.EncounterBooks.com
Release: Sept. 13, 2011

Endorsements:
�This is the book that countless Catholic laypeople have been waiting for as they ponder how to respond to Vatican II�s challenge to take more active roles in the life of the Church and to bring Christian principles to life in the secular world. It�s a gem of a book that speaks to laypeople in all walks of life and at all stages of their earthly journeys.� � Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law, Harvard University

�Living the Call inspires readers with particular stories of ordinary yet heroic virtue, while guiding us to further participation in that which is good and noble. It is uplifting and practical.� � Edwin Feulner, President, The Heritage Foundation

�Nothing can advance the Kingdom of God more than Christians getting out of the pews and into the world. Living the Call is an inspiring guide to do just that.� � Chuck Colson, Founder, Prison Fellowship and the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview

�In lifting up the work of quiet and often unrecognized heroes, Simon and Novak bear witness to the power of faith in Christ to inspire Christ-like works of love.� � Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University

�Novak is my modern-day C. S. Lewis. He and William E. Simon�someone who knows what it�s like to fight in the arena�have written a remarkable book calling each of us out of the stands and onto the spiritual playing field.� � John Kasich, Governor of Ohio

For interviews or additional information contact: Kristen Crabtree (323) 857-7617; KCrabtree@Alliedim.com

Contact

Allied Integrated Marketing
http://www.encounterbooks.com/books/living-the-call/ CA, 90028 US
Kristen Crabtree - Publicist/Dr. Strategic Planning, 323-857-7617

Keywords

Michael Novak, Bill Simon, Living the Call, Lay Vocations, Service, Book, Vatican, Evangelical

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