Jan 6 Tue
As a Christian, am I a priest and teacher?
Through Baptism, all Christians participate in Christ's threefold office: King, Priest, and Teacher.
“Apostles are Christians who feel grafted on to Christ, identified with Christ, through Baptism; enabled to fight for Christ, through Confirmation; called to serve God with their activity in the world, through their participation in the royal, prophetic, and priestly functions of Christ, which enable them to guide others to God, to teach them the truth of the Gospel, and to co-redeem them through their prayer and their expiation."
Christians who are ready to serve are guides, teachers, and priests to other people; they are, for those people, other Christs, ‘alter Christus’, or rather, as I usually say to you, Christ himself, ‘ipse Christus’.
They are guides because, in sharing in the kingship of Christ, they must bring all things of the earth to God by serving others as Christ did. By this service of theirs, Christians strive, gently but with authority, to establish Christ's kingdom on earth.
Christians are also teachers because they share in the teaching office of Christ. They have been sent by God to be living witnesses to the truth, and to teach, by word and example, the truths necessary for salvation.
Finally, Christians are priests to others, since, by Baptism and Confirmation, they have been clothed with the great dignity of mediating between the Creator and His people. As we read in St Peter: You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
This priesthood, which is essentially distinct from the ministerial priesthood, prompts us to offer our bodies and souls as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
A Christian's dignity is great indeed. God the Father sealed you in Baptism, Christ the Lord confirmed you, and the Spirit himself has come as a pledge to your heart. To respond as we should to God's great love, we must use all the powers of our souls so that the gifts God has bestowed upon us bear fruit. Our spiritual priesthood requires us to offer God spiritual sacrifices - the sacrifice of ourselves, in the first place - in union with the perfect Sacrifice of the Altar.
We must also strive to imitate Christ the Teacher and be eager to spread good doctrine. Detached from earthly possessions, and with our hearts fixed on God, we will fight to place Christ the King at the summit of all human activities and lead all things to him.
Sin abounds all over the world, but more abundant still is the reparation we want to offer God in union with Jesus Christ. If we ask our Lady, she will win from her Son the grace and strength we need to enable us to fulfill our mission faithfully.