PRIESTLY -ROYAL -PROPHETIC PEOPLE
The
whole of our lives, we seek to please Jesus. It is His right to receive
all our praise, since what He has done is amazing love. Of course, what
Jesus has achieved is a pure gift, i.e. offering His life for us. We
have not merited it or even deserved it. It is pure unconditional love.
Jesus praises John in the Gospel as a prophet. A prophet stands on the
truth and is not convinced by false error and the arguments of man. He
is not like a reed easily blown away by the wind of false teaching and
opinion. Neither, as Jesus tells us, is he like a fine man dressed in all regalia. He is a messenger
of God and forerunner to the ministry and person of Jesus. God expects
nothing less than faithfulness on our part. Jesus is the faithful one of
God. The faithfulness of Jesus, of John, of Mary and of all persons we
meet in the Christmas story are examples for us
to imitate.
The Church calls us to be a priestly-royal-prophetic people. Priestly in the sense that we offer our lives to God in a sacrifice of praise, allowing God
to reign over our lives, families and society. Royal, in the sense that
we are co-heirs of Christ, who is King and Lord of the world, living
virtuous lives fit for the Kingdom of God. Finally, prophetic, in the sense that our lives are to be a witness to the love of God.
By our baptism we are called to dutifully proclaim the Kingdom of God
in our daily lives. Others will look upon us and see that we are
messengers of God, upholding the truth, respecting the dignity of the
human person and loving those in our midst. By way of our priestly,
royal and prophetic role we are being faithful to God.
Today, let us remember that we are a priestly people, a royal nation, a
people set apart to glorify the wonders of God. Let us seek the Lord in
our advent reflections and be faithful in prayer, sacraments and charity to our neighbor. Let us welcome Jesus with pure and loyal hearts this Christmas. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How can you live out your priestly, royal and phrophetic roles?
May I praise You, Lord, with my life and love. Be pleased with this sacrifice I offer You. Amen.
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