Whenever controversies rock the Church, like the recent excommunication of those who formally adhere to the ultra-traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), many of us instinctively look to Church leaders and expect them to address and resolve these problems. But to assume that the future of the Church rests exclusively in the hands of the pope, the cardinals, bishops, priests, and other ecclesiastical leaders reveals a dangerous misunderstanding of the Church's true nature.

The Church is all of us. We belong to one another, we affect one another, and we cannot distance ourselves from one another. Each of us bears responsibility for what becomes of the Church. St. Paul expresses this beautifully: “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12:26).

Today’s Gospel alludes to this truth. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus challenges the Church to become a fertile soil that nurtures the seed of God's Kingdom and enables it to grow. Although the seed possesses within itself an extraordinary power to grow and bear fruit, it cannot fully realize this potential if the soil is dry, infertile, barren, or choked with thorns. In the same way, a Church torn by indifference, division, and factionalism will stifle, rather than foster, the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth.

The Church becomes fertile soil for the growth of God’s Kingdom only when all its members pursue the threefold goal of communion, participation, and mission, which is the defining theme of the late Pope Francis's pontificate. He urged all Catholics to “journey together” (synodos in Greek) in their common mission of building a synodal Church.

Sadly, synodality has remained more of a slogan than a lived reality because many laypeople still understand their role as simply attending Mass, receiving the sacraments, and supporting parish activities financially. They are content to remain spectators rather than co-responsible disciples who proclaim the Gospel, defend human dignity, and transform society according to Christian values.

Worse still, many have received inadequate doctrinal and moral formation, leading them to treat religion like a “cafeteria” where they choose what to believe or ignore, whichever is convenient. They approach the Church like consumers seeking spiritual goods and services rather than as disciples committed to the truth. They forget that fidelity to the truth admits no divided allegiance. As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Mt. 6:24).

To be fair, many laypeople participate actively in the Church's mission. Yet the pressures of work, family responsibilities, financial concerns, and the relentless pace of modern life leave them with little time or energy for parish ministries or ecclesial leadership. Even those who sincerely wish to serve often struggle to balance their faith commitments with the demands of everyday life.

It is not enough, therefore, for the priests and ecclesiastical authorities to merely urge greater lay participation. They must also create a culture that genuinely empowers the laity. This requires trusting and mentoring lay leaders while providing sound doctrinal and moral formation, especially through catechetics and thoughtful and well-prepared homilies.

A common complaint by laypeople is, the homilies of priests too often repeat familiar clichés, offer shallow moralizing, or wander endlessly into politics, economics, and current events without illuminating the faithful with a clear explanation of the Gospel message. When laypeople leave the Mass without being spiritually nourished, they gradually stop coming. Once they drift away, it becomes increasingly difficult to bring them back.

There is a principle known as the Law of Diminishing Returns, which teaches that the results of our efforts gradually diminish unless we change our methods. The same principle applies to the Church. We cannot expect a richer harvest by sowing the same seed in barren soil. Only when both clergy and laity work together at realizing a synodal Church will the seed of God's Kingdom take root, flourish, and yield a thirtyfold, sixtyfold, even a hundredfold harvest (Mt. 13:8-9).