The unity of priesthood

Good News Reflection
Thursday of the 33rd Week of Ordinary Time
November 18, 2010

Today's Readings:
Rev 5:1-10
Ps 149:1b-6a, 9b (with Rev. 5:10)
Luke 19:41-44
http://www.usccb.org/nab/111810.shtml
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/10_11_18.mp3

The unity of priesthood

Today's first reading gives us a hymn from heaven: "You made them a kingdom and priests for our God, and they will reign on earth." This is not referring to just clergy. We were all baptized into the priestly, prophetic and royal ministry of Christ.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. #1591, explains: "The whole Church is a priestly people. Through Baptism all the faithful share in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called the 'common priesthood of the faithful.'"

Jesus is the High Priest. With him, we should all be offering sacrifices for the sake of the kingdom. And we all have a ministry of praying and interceding for others, even tearfully at times as we see Jesus doing in today's Gospel reading. With Jesus, we cry for those who are facing difficulties but have not yet turned their lives over to God: "If you only knew what makes for peace...." This priesthood of tears is a sharing in the Passion of Christ.

Para. #1547 of the Catechism says that the ministerial (ordained) priests and the common priesthood work together, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." Priests and laity are yoked together, and the yoke of Jesus is easy and light because the burden of the work is reduced when it's shared. When each of us, clergy and laity TOGETHER, share our gifts and talents collaboratively, much more is accomplished and with greater energy than when we serve God separately.

When ordained priests flourish in their ministry, the common priesthood of the laity flourishes, and likewise, when the laity are empowered by the clergy to use their talents and skills in the Church freely, the priesthood also flourishes. Most vocations to the priesthood come from meeting priests who are flourishing in their love of the common priesthood whom they serve.

By working together in the priesthood of Christ, there is no vocation shortage. We might not have enough ordained priests to fill every parish, but our Lord is a God of sufficiency. He provides, not through individuals, but through community. Every need can be met if clergy and religious and laity serve in partnership, unified by the priesthood of Christ.

Where there is insufficiency in getting the Lord's work done, it's because the laity have not yet fully accepted their own calling to ministry and/or their pastors have not yet fully empowered them (or they've empowered them but then blocked their potential by trying to control them). Ordained priests are freer to carry out the mission of their Holy Orders when the laity are free to use the gifts that God has given to them.

Have you been praying for an increase in holy vocations? God IS answering that prayer – and you are part of the solution. We cannot merely pray about it; God is tapping each of us on our shoulders and saying, "Okay, I am calling YOU, too. Get busy! Work with the rest of the priestly people."

© 2010 by Terry A. Modica
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