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One time, many years back, a fellow non-Catholic friend of mine made the comment, "All baptized are priests, so there doesn't need to be the distinction between Catholic priests and the baptized." This is a fundamental misunderstanding of the priesthood. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were to "be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for me." Exodus 19:6 But, as we know, while all the people were called to make sacrifice, the Levites (the priestly clan) were the ones to offer those sacrifices to God. That's what priests do--they offer prayers and sacrifice. There was a distinct office just for the ordained priests from the tribe of Levi. There is the same thing today in the Catholic Church. All baptized people are called to be priests, prophets, and kings. What does that mean exactly? All baptized are called to into the common priesthood, not a distinct office, like ordained men who receive Holy Orders. This means that we are to offer prayers and spiritual sacrifices united to Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. As the baptized, we become apart of the Body of Christ. This means that throughout the day, we can pray for others, and offer up our sufferings as a sacrifice for the good of others, participating in Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross for the good of all. Only ordained men with Holy Orders can offer the Sacrifice of the Mass. That is for them alone. We are to assist and participate with our prayers and reception of Jesus in the Eucharist. As prophets, we are called to declare the Gospel--the Good News of Christ. "Baptized individuals are called to witness to the truth of Christ in their daily lives, evangelizing, sharing faith, and adhering to the faith "delivered to the saints." CCC 785 As kings, we are called to be servant rulers. We are to use our talents and influence to bring justice, peace, and God's love to the world, serving God by serving others. We are to lead, in charity, others to Christ.--Catholic Answers. What beautiful roles we are called to, Catholic Pilgrims. May we live each role out well to build up the Kingdom of God. Have a blessed 5th Sunday of Easter.
Continue ReadingGrowing up in Kansas, I believed that the second I crossed the Kansas/Colorado border, I would see the mountains looming over me. All I heard growing up was that Kansas was flat as a pancake (a lot of the state really isn't) and that Colorado was entirely filled with mountains. So, imagine my surprise when, I think in 7th grade, my family went on vacation to Colorado and upon crossing the border I found no mountains. I looked for a long, long time and no mountains. Finally, my dad said, "Look, you can see the top of the mountains on the horizon." Just as Kansas ain't all flat, Colorado ain't all mountains. I'm just here to set the record straight. 🙂 Our small town church showcase this week is from South Fork, Colorado, population 724. This is Holy Family Mission, one of five small churches in the San Juan Community. South Fork sits in the south which is a part of the state that I have never been to. Funny story about a time I was in Colorado: My sophomore year of high school, my concert band went to a competition in Colorado. We were very good and had won other competitions around Kansas. Well, nobody warned us about the change in altitude having an effect on our breathing. So, we get to the competition, start warming up, and we are all incredibly winded. I was a trumpet player and, boy, was I struggling. The whole band sounded terrible, we didn't win, but we did have fun skiing at Winterpark. Well, almost everyone. I took out a fence in front of a large crowd, which was highly embarrassing. Anyway, Colorado is a beautiful state, the mountains when you get to them are stunning, and there are many, many wonderful churches to visit. Add Holy Family Mission to your list if you are in the south. Live the Faith boldly and travel well, Catholic Pilgrims.
Continue ReadingI'm back from Dayton after attending the wedding of my best friend's daughter, a young woman who I have known since she was three. It was truly a beautiful, special day to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage. During the priest's homily, he said something very important to the couple and really to all listening. He said, "Your married life is not to be just for yourselves. You aren't to collapse in on yourselves and only live for yourselves. You are meant to be a light to the world." So very true. A husband and wife are never meant to just live for themselves. The love my husband and I have for each other is meant to be an example of Christ's sacrificial love. We are called to be not just husband and wife, but mother and father in some capacity given the circumstances of our situation. Our married life is not about traveling, comfort, material gain, or the ability to do whatever we want, whenever we want free of any responsibility to anyone but ourselves. Quite the contrary, the married couple is called to sacrifice, give, and help be a light to their children and to those in their communities, so that others might know the joy of Christ's love. Have a blessed Monday, Catholic Pilgrims.
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