20150119 LIVING OUT OUR PRIESTHOOD IN CHRIST
Readings at Mass
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First reading
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Hebrews 5:1-10 ©
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Every high priest has
been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations
with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathise with
those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of
weakness. That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for
the people. No one takes this honour on himself, but each one is called by God,
as Aaron was. Nor did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest,
but he had it from the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have
become your father, and in another text: You are a priest of the order
of Melchizedek, and for ever. During his life on earth, he offered up
prayer and entreaty, aloud and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to
save him out of death, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard.
Although he was Son, he learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made
perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was
acclaimed by God with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.
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Psalm
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Psalm 109:1-4 ©
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You are a priest
for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord’s revelation
to my Master:
‘Sit on
my right:
your foes
I will put beneath your feet.’
You are a priest
for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord will wield
from Zion
your
sceptre of power:
rule in
the midst of all your foes.
You are a priest
for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
A prince from the day
of your birth
on the
holy mountains;
from the
womb before the dawn I begot you.
You are a priest
for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
The Lord has sworn an
oath he will not change.
‘You are
a priest for ever,
a priest
like Melchizedek of old.’
You are a priest
for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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cf.1Th2:13
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Accept God’s message
for what it really is:
God’s message, and
not some human thinking.
Alleluia!
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Or
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Heb4:12
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Alleluia, alleluia!
The word of God is
something alive and active:
it can judge secret
emotions and thoughts.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Mark 2:18-22 ©
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One
day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to
Jesus and said to him, ‘Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of
the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the
bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is
still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not
think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away
from them, and then, on that day, they will fast. No one sews a piece of
unshrunken cloth on an old cloak; if he does, the patch pulls away from it, the
new from the old, and the tear gets worse. And nobody puts new wine into old
wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and
the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins!’
LIVING
OUT OUR PRIESTHOOD IN CHRIST
SCRIPTURE
READINGS: HEB 5:1-10; MARK 2:18-22
All Christians are
called to share in the one Priesthood of Christ; be it in the royal (common) or
ordained (ministerial) priesthood. Christ, as the Letter to the Hebrews tells
us, is our High Priest, and each of us in our own way, share in one or both of this
twofold ministry.
This sharing in the
priesthood of Christ stems from our calling in baptism. The first letter of Peter 2:9f
says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s
special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out
of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now
you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have
received mercy.” Such is the graciousness of God’s call for each one of
us. We have been chosen by grace, not by merit; not because we are holy
but because we are sinners. So what counts is the mercy and grace of God
when it comes to election.
The author of Hebrews in no
uncertain terms makes it clear that priesthood is an election and not
something we take upon ourselves, like choosing a career. He said, “No one
takes this honour on himself, but each one is called by God, as Aaron was. Nor
did Christ give himself the glory of becoming high priest, but he had it from
the one who said to him: You are my son, today I have become your father, and
in another text: You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for
ever.” For this reason, the Church has always insisted that baptismal
calling is really God’s grace and most of all, when it comes to the Sacrament
of Holy Orders, it is solely a matter of God’s election and not simply
dependent on professional competency for the ministry. The calling of the
disciples, which we read in the gospel last week, underscores this graciousness
of God’s call. They did not choose the master, as in most other religions
or in the secular world. It is God who chooses us, just as Christ chose
the disciples and said to them, “Follow me” which is a command, not a request.
But why does God call us in our brokenness and
sinfulness, just like the unworthy apostles, to be His priests and
prophets? It is because He wants us to continue His work of compassion
and restoration. The author reiterates this when he wrote, “Every high
priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their
relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can
sympathise with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the
limitations of weakness.”
In the light of the mercy
of God, are we, who have been called to be His priests in the world and
in the Church, consciously aware of this Office that has been entrusted to
us? Most probably we do not, especially if we are only sharing in the
common priesthood of Christ. I think many Catholics do not take the
priesthood we received at baptism seriously. This is not surprising, for even
ordained ministers can sometimes unconsciously forget that we are called to be
the Alter Christus, i.e. to represent Christ in all we do: teaching,
sanctifying and leading. So being conscious of our calling to be His
priests is the first step we must take before we can exercise this noble office
bestowed upon us.
Secondly, perhaps, we
are not aware of what the priesthood entails. The Letter of Hebrews
explains how this priesthood is to be exercised. It says, “Every high
priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their
relations with God.” As priests of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are
therefore His mediators. We are called to be a bridge to Christ for
others just as Christ is our bridge to His Father. Being a mediator for
Christ has a twofold sense, in terms of leading people to Christ through our
examples and teaching, or in terms of intercession.
Concretely, being a
priest of Jesus Christ is to be and do what St Paul urges us in Romans 12. He wrote, “Therefore, I urge
you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper
worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom 12:1-2) This
invitation to make our lives a living sacrifice is concretely spelt out in the
rest of the chapter. It means to use our charisms for the service of the body
of Christ; to live a life of love and humility, and most of all, to forgive,
especially when we suffer innocently and unjustly. Yes, we are called
to be a witness of Christ’s presence in the world by making ourselves the
bridge and sign of Christ to others so that they will come to see Jesus in
us. We do this concretely by living out our vocation as workers, bosses,
married couples, students, etc. In every aspect of our lives, whether at
home, in school, at work or in the Church, we must exercise our priesthood;
being Christ for others.
Of course, to crown it all,
St Paul urges us to pray unceasingly. This brings us to the second
dimension of the priesthood. In many of his letters, he urges us to lift
up prayers for others as well. “I urge, then, first of all, that
petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for
kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in
all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants
all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim
2:1-4) To be a priest is to be an intercessor as well like Christ who
unceasingly intercedes for us before His heavenly Father. The letter to
the Hebrews reads, “Because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent
priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God
through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Heb
7:24-25). We who are intercessors too, must not be too
individualistic or even be contented with just praying for ourselves, our loved
ones and friends, but we must also pray for everyone in the world, our colleagues,
subordinates, superiors, civil and government leaders, church leaders
especially priests and religious, sinners, lapsed Catholics, unbelievers and
especially enemies of Christ and His Church
Finally, to be a good
priest requires us to die to ourselves. Christ is truly our High Priest because
He is not just our priest but our victim and sacrificial lamb. This
priest offers Himself as a living sacrifice for our salvation. To be a
priest, we too must offer our life as a living sacrifice through fasting, penance
and mortification for those whom we pray for. Petitioning for the needs
of others is too easy. Some petitions need more than prayers, but require
fasting and penance. When we mortify ourselves, it shows our sincerity
and purity of intention before God. When we are one with Jesus, praying
in His Name, our prayers would be answered.
Most of all, an
effective priest strives to grow in holiness. St James says that the prayers of a holy man work
wonders. (cf James 4:16) We cannot make others holy unless we seek
sanctification ourselves. Without being made perfect ourselves, we cannot show
the way to others. Jesus, we read, “Having been made perfect, he became
for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation and was acclaimed by God
with the title of high priest of the order of Melchizedek.” Being a
priest is very much like being wounded healers. But before we can heal
others, we need to heal our wounds first. Thus, the first reading reminds
us “That is why he has to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the
people.” Again, we read that “although he was Son, he learnt to obey through
suffering.” We must allow the trials of the apostolate and our daily life
to purify and sanctify us. Through our submission to the purgation of our
spiritual life and our motives for service, we learn obedience to God’s
will. Aligning ourselves with Him, we become one with Christ in
everything, in life and in love.
Christ’s priesthood
remains forever, for
God said, “You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizedek. The Lord
said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your
footstool.’” We too share in this priesthood and thus remain forever the
bride of Christ, as alluded to in the gospel. “Surely the bridegroom’s
attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with
them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of
fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them,
and then, on that day, they will fast.” So long as we are one in Christ
and in union with Him, we will always be people of joy and love. In Jesus, we
find the strength to be His priests of holiness and love. Consequently, like
Jesus, who “during his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, aloud
and in silent tears, to the one who had the power to save him out of death, and
he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard’, we too must pray for
ourselves and for the Church and the world with perseverance, fervor and
persistence as priests.
WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV
WILLIAM GOH
ARCHBISHOP
OF SINGAPORE
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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