People are sometimes a bit surprised when I say this, but did you know that as a baptized Catholic, you are also a priest? Each of us through the grace of Baptism, is part of the common priesthood. What is more, with participation in that common priesthood, comes responsibility.
Each of us is called to truly love those around us. This is the first and foremost responsibility in participating in God’s plan, as being part of this priesthood. The thing is, this can be more difficult than it sounds. We are called to truly love, at the highest level, self-sacrificing love – Agape’. This is the love with which Christ loved each of us, and for which He sacrificed himself for us. If we are to call ourselves followers of Christ, then this is our call as well. We must be willing to die to self each day as part of our taking up our own crosses, and to focus on our brothers and sisters instead. This means not only giving up much of our own self-interest, but also being willing to step outside our comfort zone to be messengers of God’s truth so that our brothers and sisters can benefit from hearing His word. It means being willing to have hard conversations when necessary, and to do so in a wholly loving way.
Every one of God’s prophets and priests, has had to heed this call. Ezekiel heard it very directly – “You, son of man, I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel”. Saint Paul demonstrated this in his profession of the commands that God had conveyed. Our Lord himself, who is Priest, Prophet, and King tells us that when we see our brothers or sisters’ sin, we must help them. We must approach them lovingly, we must be honest with them, and we must pray for them.
The truth is not always an easy thing to convey, it requires commitment and fortitude that can only come from asking God’s help in carrying out His command. We CANNOT do this ourselves; we must always humbly approach Him and ask for help in fulfilling this responsibility. We need the courage, wisdom, and patience that only He can provide us at the needed moment, and in the proper form and proportion so that the words that we speak in His name will have the efficacy that is needed. We do this to show our love for His other creations, and in doing so, our love for Him. His gift then to us, is our own salvation, as servants who have been faithful to their master’s call, and carried out what He has tasked each of us with. It is a timeless calling and is both as needed and as relevant today as it was in all ages.
The Deacons Bench 