Bonus: The Lay Vocation with Peter Andrastek

QUICK SUMMARY

What does it truly mean to live out your Catholic faith in everyday life? In this compelling conversation, Peter Andrastek, Senior Consultant at The Evangelical Catholic, challenges the common misconception that holiness means becoming more like a priest, nun, or monk. Instead, he reveals how ordinary Catholics are called to extraordinary holiness right where they are—in their workplaces, families, and communities.

Discover why most parishes aren’t equipped to form laypeople for their unique vocation, how the distinction between “ministry” and “apostolate” changes everything, and what practical steps you can take today to become salt, light, and leaven in your corner of the world. This bonus episode offers a refreshing vision of Catholic life that goes far beyond Sunday Mass attendance.

IN THIS BONUS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:

Understanding Ministry vs. Apostolate (02:40)

• Why most Catholics misunderstand their true vocation
• How ministry flows from holy orders to build up the church
• Why apostolate is the specific calling of the laity to sanctify the world
• The difference between “ad intra” (within the church) and “ad extra” (to the world)

What Sanctifying the World Actually Looks Like (09:00)

• A CEO who makes breakfast for colleagues every Friday morning
• Why holiness is “extraordinary love lived in the ordinary”
• How personal transformation radiates mysteriously to others
• The “apologetics of meaning” that makes people ask, “What’s different about your life?”

The Skills vs. Holiness Debate (16:00)

• Why evangelization training without personal holiness is manipulation
• The role of human formation: “Don’t be weird”
• How character and personality can facilitate or impede the gospel
• Why we can’t “train people into zeal”

The Seminary Challenge (20:00)

• Young seminarians who want to be “weird” and countercultural
• The attraction to smells, bells, and traditional liturgy
• Why liturgical emphasis alone won’t reach most people
• Navigating between authenticity and accessibility

Pastoral Principles That Work (24:00)

• “That which is received is received according to the disposition of the receiver”
• Working within your circle of influence vs. circle of concern
• Starting with a few well-disposed people rather than massive programs
• The mustard seed principle of parish renewal

A Practical Starting Point (28:30)

• Begin with 3-5 people you’d enjoy growing with
• Focus on three topics: Life, Growth, and Mission
• Keep 3-5 names on a prayer list and check in regularly
• Why most Catholics think holiness means spending more time at parish

The Real Models of Holiness (33:00)

• Fr. John’s confession: “My heroes are people raising eight kids, not priests and monks”
• Why religious life is “institutionalized” and doesn’t require the same daily sacrifice
• The sublimity of the lay vocation that’s meant to “pass unnoticed”
• Why 5,000 people attend certain funerals

The Airline Pilot’s Apostolate (43:00)

• A major airline pilot who made his cockpit his mission field
• Intentional conversations leading to broken marriages being healed
• “Define, Plan, Act” exercise for getting specific about your apostolate
• Why apostolate is “almost more about you than other people”

Something’s Got to Give (37:00)

• Every pope since Vatican II has called for lay renewal
• Why we’re living in an exciting, adventurous time
• The problem: parishes don’t have imagination for lay vocation
• “If you don’t know what it looks like, you can’t give formation for it”

ABOUT PETER ANDRASTEK

Peter Andrastek is the Senior Consultant at the Evangelical Catholic, a private nonprofit based in Madison, Wisconsin, that forms and equips Catholics to live out the Great Commission. Since joining EC, Peter has specialized in experimental initiatives, including seminary formation, workshops for priests, and developing curriculum for lay apostolate. He’s been married for 20 years and has eight children ranging from a college sophomore to a four-year-old.

Connect with the Evangelical Catholic and learn more about their formation programs at

https://evangelicalcatholic.org

MEMORABLE QUOTES

On the Lay Vocation:

“The life of an ordinary Christian is materially just the life of an ordinary person, but transformed from the inside by divine love… somehow mysteriously, without anything being different, somehow mysteriously everything is different.” (09:30)

On Evangelization:

“If we reduce evangelization to something you can just train someone for, just a set of skills or a technique for saying something, we reduce evangelization to the manipulation of human techniques.” (16:45)

On Starting Small:

“If you’re distracted by all the things and all the people who are in your circle of concern, but not in your circle of influence, you are not going to be effective. Instead, you have to focus on a few, just like Jesus on a mustard seed.” (25:30)

On Holiness and Apostolate:

“At the end of the day, holiness and apostolate are the same reality. You know, we distinguish them conceptually, but at the end of the day… when I am trying to be more cheerful at home as an act of love for my wife and kids, am I growing in holiness or am I being more apostolic with them? Why would there be a difference?” (47:00)

Fr. John’s Perspective:

“My heroes are not priests, nuns, and monks. My models of holiness actually are the people who are raising the eight kids and who are juggling so many different responsibilities and living tremendous lives of sacrifice.” (33:15)

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Learn more about our work: Religion to Reality is an initiative of DeSales Media, dedicated to helping people bridge the gap between religious practice and lived spiritual reality