When the average person hears the word “priest” they think of a person ordained for sacred ministry. The priest has been ordained by a bishop of the apostolic succession with prayers in order to perform the rites and sacraments of the Church.
Another facet of the priesthood lies in “sacrifice.” It means to present Christ to the world in a total giving way, freely and without reservation. It means to practice mercy and justice and to co-operate with the Holy Spirit even in the most difficult of times. It means dying to one’s self and letting Christ live in you. It means spilling your blood as a witness for Him.
Those who are called by the Father to a sacrificial priesthood have been consecrated by the Blood of the Lamb of God and sealed by the Holy Spirit. It calls for a virtuous life for the sake of the Kingdom already begun here on earth. Like the herald, John the Baptizer, they are to decrease so that Christ may increase (John 3:30).
The short, precise, intimate yet powerful prayers used by the dying Savior hanging on the Cross reflect His attitude of total obedience to the will of the Father, abandonment of self, radical forgiveness, acceptance of eternal destiny, a thirsting for holiness and vulnerability no matter what the personal cost. Like Jesus, our High Priest, the heart of a priest is one of total thanksgiving to God for every circumstance in life.
All old things have passed away and have been and are being fulfilled in Christ. The new Covenant in Christ’s Blood consecrates us in total service to Him. Then, the name “Christian” takes on a deeper meaning because it implies not only a total immersion into Christ, but as one who participates in the passion, death, and burial of the Savior. They receive a foretaste of the resurrection and future Kingdom in the reception of Holy Communion. During this Encounter, one is called “servant of God.”
Each individual has been set apart by God for a specific purpose which can only be fulfilled by that person. With maturity and growth in the spiritual life, that purpose may take time to unfold, yet will become more clear and inescapable.
Sacrifice plays a vital role in the priesthood because Christ Himself exemplified this for His Bride, the Church, and the world. We are called to imitate Him even in our imperfect and feeble way. His wounded hands and feet, His pierced side and crown of thorns, the lashes of the whip, insults by the crowds, abandonment by His disciples and the loneliness hanging on a cross all await us in various forms.
We do not understand this mystery, but by God’s grace accept it freely.
©2005 - Raymond J. Mastroberte
11/24/05