Prophet, priest, and king.

“Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him.”

This passage is a perfect passage to be read this weekend.  

Although today is simply the 10^th Sunday of OT, this is the weekend of our Jesuit ordinations.  Two of my friends were ordained yesterday and both of them will be working here over the next few month.

Newly minted Fr. Jeremy Zipple will say his first Mass here at 9:30 and then have his first priestly assignment here at ICC starting in July.

And freshly ordained Fr. Raul Navarro will be taking my place as associate pastor in August.

In addition, today, June 9, is the one year anniversary of my own ordination.

I know that it is with a lump in my throat that I read the Apostle Paul’s words in today’s second reading.  I’m sure Fr. Jeremy and Fr. Raul would agree.  And so would our mothers.

“Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him.”

In many ways this captures our experience.  And I don’t mean just us ordained priests.  I mean OUR (inclusive gesture) experience. 

For God has specially chosen each one of us, while safely tucked away in our mother’s wombs, through his grace and has chosen to reveal his Son to us, so that we might preach the Good News about him.

For in our baptism each one of us is given the tria munera.  The three dignities.  When we are baptized into Christ each one of us is made into a prophet, a priest, and a king.

A prophet so that we might, each one of us, preach the Good News of Jesus to a world that is hungry for meaning, for direction, for purpose…for freedom.

A priest so that we might offer prayers for the sanctification of God’s people, so that we might assist in the reconciliation of people to one another and to God, so that we might make sacrifices so that others can come to know God.

And a king, so that we rule ourselves, refusing to be controlled or used by someone else.  We refuse to be manipulated by others.  The grace of our baptism calls us to refuse to give away our self-rule through addictions or dependencies.

Yesterday a group of aspirants to the Society of Jesus came for a tour of the church and I gave a little talk about what the first year of priesthood is like.  It was 4 guys who are actually becoming Jesuit novices in August, and a few guys who are considering applying to the Society.

I told them how wonderful it has been to be here.  What a wonderful privilege it is to serve you as a congregation and to have you continue to call priesthood out of me.  Help me learn how to be a priest.

One of them asked what the biggest change is after being a Jesuit for 10-12 years, and then being ordained.  I had never thought of this before, but I answered that the first 12 years of being a Jesuit, while we are vowed religious and ministering as novices and then scholastics, is a time to become intimate with the priesthood of the baptized.  The priesthood that all baptized people share.  

We visit the sick, care for the homeless, teach catechism classes, become Eucharistic ministers and altar servers, lectors, study our faith, teach our faith, and learn to live a spiritual life of prayer and sacrifice.  These are the things that all of us are called to in the priesthood of the baptized.

So that with that intimate knowledge, we can help empower and call forth the priesthood of all baptized from the people we serve, as surely as they help us with ours.

Because the purpose of my priesthood, Fr. Jeremy and Fr. Raul’s priesthood, the ordained and sacramental priesthood, is to equip and nourish all the baptized so that we can, together, transform the world through Christ.

So I ask you.  As you hear these words: Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him.

Do you feel a tug in your heart?  

Through your baptism God has chosen each of you to be a prophet priest and king. 

Is he calling you to deepen one of those aspects:  

·        To become more knowledgeable about your faith so you can explain it to your children, to your friends, to other people? 

·        To become a EM so that you can bring the Eucharist to people who are sick or homebound?  An altar server?  A lector?

·        To find a way out of some situation of manipulation or addiction so that you can rule yourself as a king?

·        Possibly even calling you to the ordained and sacramental priesthood or religious life?

If so, say yes.  God, who made you, who created your heart, knows its secrets and only calls you to what will bring you even deeper joy.  Say yes.