Royal, prophetic and priestly

 

13. Royal, prophetic and priestly office of all the faithful and of the Sacramental Priesthood.

Introduction:The Church is the supernatural society established by Jesus Christ where the Christ believers are joined as a part of the mystical body of Christ. It is union and communion of Christ’s believers with one-another in and through the grace of Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to God the Father. The main and fundamental work of the Church is to extend the kingdom of God by preaching the word of God and by baptizing the peoples who are not under her. It was the commandment of Jesus, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19). All baptized person are the members of the Church. By receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, one does not become the member of the Church only; he is also incorporated with the Body of Christ. Baptism is the door to enter into the Church. There are seven sacraments in the Church. The two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Orders, faithful shares the priestly, prophetic and royal function in the Church. But there is different between these two sacraments. It will be discussed, as it is proceed to this theme.

 

The Sacramental or Ministerial Priesthood and Common Priesthood: The ministerial or sacramental Priesthood is a type of priesthood by divine institution some among Christ’s faithful are through the sacrament of Holy order, marked with an indelible character and are thus constituted Sacred Ministry; thereby they are consecrated  and deputed that each according to his own grade, they fulfill, in the person of Christ the Head, the offices of teaching, sanctifying, and ruling, and so they nourish the people of God of bishop, priests, deacon. The Holy order is conferred by the imposition of hands and the prayer of consecration.

The common priesthood of all the faithful participates, each in its own proper way, in one priesthood of Christ. While being ordered one to another, they differ essentially. While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace – a life of faith, hope and charity, a life according to the spirit, the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS

1536 Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate, presbyter ate, and diaconate.

I. WHY IS THIS SACRAMENT CALLED "ORDERS"?

1537 The word order in Roman antiquity designated an established civil body, especially a governing body. Ordinatiomeans incorporation into an ordo. In the Church there are established bodies which Tradition, not without a basis in Sacred Scripture,⁴ has since ancient times called taxeis(Greek) or ordines. And so the liturgy speaks of the ordoepiscoporum, the ordopresbyterorum, the ordodiaconorum. Other groups also receive this name of ordo: catechumens, virgins, spouses, widows,. . . .

1538 Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished by a rite called ordinatio, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a blessing or a sacrament. Today the word "ordination" is reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the community, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a "sacred power" (sacra potestas)⁵ which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. The laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign of this ordination.

 

The Priestly, Kingly and Prophetic Function of Laity (faithful) in Common Priesthood: The adjective lay is derived from the Greek word laikos (Lat., laicus) meaning “of or from the people.” In early Christianity the term came to connote “the chosen people of God.”  By reason of their special vocation it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will.

Priestly Role:The supreme and eternal Priest, Christ Jesus wills to continue his witness and service also through the laity. For this reason the laity, dedicated to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and wonderfully prepared ever more abundant fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them. For all their works, prayers and apostolic endeavors, their ordinary married and family life, their daily occupations, their physical and mental relaxation, if carried out in the Spirit, and even the hardships of life, if patiently borne-all these become "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. “Thus laity consecrates the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives." In a very special way, parents share in the office of sanctifying "by leading a conjugal life in the Christian spirit and by seeing to the Christian education of their children (CCC 901-902)." They can also serve by the ministry lector and acolyte.

Prophetic Role: Christ, the great Prophet, who proclaimed the Kingdom of His Father both by the testimony of His life and the power of His words, continually, fulfills His prophetic office until the complete manifestation of glory. He does this not only through the hierarchy who teach in His name and with His authority, but also through the laity whom He made His witnesses and to whom He gave understanding of the faith and an attractiveness in speech so that the power of the Gospel might shine forth in their daily social and family life. Thus lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization. Through married and family, they play a special prophetic function. Lay people who are capable and trained may also collaborate in catechetical formation, in teaching the sacred sciences, and in use of the communications media” (CCC 906). They also have duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons."

Kingly Role: Christ, becoming obedient even unto death and because of this exalted by the Father,(ccc206) entered into the glory of His kingdom. His kingdom is a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace. The Lord wishes to spread His kingdom also by means of the laity. Laity has the principal role to establish justice, charity and peace. They will contribute to use created goods, technical skill and civic culture for the benefit of all according to the design of the Creator and the light of His Word.  They will also play role to have equal distribution of the goods among all men thus it can be conducive to universal progress in human and Christian freedom.

 

The Priestly, Kingly and Prophetic Function of Sacramental Priesthood: There are three levels of divinely established ecclesiastical ministry in the Church. They are called bishops, priests and deacons. Each minister has their particular priestly, kingly and prophetic function. Here is a description of those functions of bishops, priests and deaconsRevelation 1: 4-7.

THE THREE DEGREES OF THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERSCatechism of the Catholic Church

1554 "The divinely instituted ecclesiastical ministry is exercised in different degrees by those who even from ancient times have been called bishops, priests, and deacons."³² Catholic doctrine, expressed in the liturgy, the Magisterium, and the constant practice of the Church, recognizes that there are two degrees of ministerial participation in the priesthood of Christ: the episcopacy and the presbyterate . The diaconate is intended to help and serve them. For this reason the term sacerdosin current usage denotes bishops and priests but not deacons. Yet Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three conferred by a sacramental act called "ordination," that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders:

Let everyone revere the deacons as Jesus Christ, the bishop as the image of the Father, and the presbyters as the senate of God and the assembly of the apostles. For without them one cannot speak of the Church.³³

Bishop: Bishops are the successors of the apostles. They are teachers for doctrine, priests for sacred worship, and ministers for governing. They have taken up the service of the community by presiding in place of God over the flock.  Bishop as priest preaches the word of God to all nations, and constantly administering the sacraments of faith to those who believe, by their paternal functioning. He incorporates new members in His Body by a heavenly regeneration, and finally by their wisdom and prudence He directs and guides the People of the New Testament in their pilgrimage toward eternal happiness.

As a Priest by Episcopal consecration the fullness of the sacrament of Orders is conferred, that fullness of power, namely, which both in the Church's liturgical practice and in the language of the Fathers of the Church is called the high priesthood, the supreme power of the sacred ministry.

As a prophet the principal duties of bishops is preaching of the Gospel. For bishops are preachers of the faith, who lead new disciples to Christ and they are authentic teachers, that is, teachers endowed with the authority of Christ, who preach to the people committed to them the faith they must believe and put into practice, and by the light of the Holy Spirit illustrate that faith.

His kingly function includes as vicars and ambassadors of Christ, governing the particular churches entrusted to them by their counsel, exhortations, example, and even by their authority and sacred power, which indeed they use only for the edification of their flock in truth and holiness. Pope is also a bishop who is Vicar of Christ, Successor of Peter, Head of the college of bishops, bishop of Rome and the Pastor of the Universal Church. As Pope, he has full authority over the universal Church.  He has highest, full, immediate, universal authority.    

Priest: Priests are prudent cooperators with the Episcopal order, its aid and instrument. The ordination of priests - co-workers of the bishopsCCC 1562-1568.They are called to serve the people of God, constitute one priesthood with their bishop. They sanctify and govern under the bishop's authority, that part of the Lord's flock entrusted to them they make the universal Church visible in their own locality and bring an efficacious assistance to the building up of the whole body of Christ.

As Priest, they exercise their sacred function especially in the Eucharistic worship or the celebration of the Mass by which acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming His Mystery they unite the prayers of the faithful with the sacrifice of their Head and renew and apply in the sacrifice of the Mass until the coming of the Lord.

As Prophet,  they gather together God's family as a brotherhood all of one mind and lead them in the Spirit, through Christ, to God the Father. In the midst of the flock they adore Him in spirit and in truth.(182) Finally, they labor in word and doctrine,  believing what they have read and meditated upon in the law of God, teaching what they have believed, and putting in practice in their own lives what they have taught.

As king, because the human race today is joining more and more into a civic, economic and social unity, it is that much the more necessary that priests, by combined effort and aid, under the leadership of the bishops and the Supreme Pontiff, wipe out every kind of separateness, so that the whole human race may be brought into the unity of the family of God.

Deacon: Deacons are at a lower level of the hierarchy, upon whom hands are imposed "not unto the priesthood, but unto a ministry of service(CCC 1569-1572). In communion with the bishop and his group of priests they serve in the diaconate of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity to the people of God. It is the duty of the deacon, according as it shall have been assigned to him by competent authority, to administer baptism solemnly, to be custodian and dispenser of the Eucharist, to assist at and bless marriages in the name of the Church, to bring Viaticum to the dying, to read the Sacred Scripture to the faithful, to instruct and exhort the people, to preside over the worship and prayer of the faithful, to administer sacramental, to officiate at funeral and burial services.

Conclusion:Christ is the true vine and the source of our spiritual life. We are the branches who need the vine. We must stay connected to him. Otherwise, we will not bear fruit, neither in our own lives, nor in the lives of others. The primary ways that we “abide” in Jesus are through personal prayer, reading Holy Scripture, and living a sacramental life. The Church also teaches that there can never be a split between our Christian life and the life we live in the world. We cannot live two parallel lives: one spiritual and the other secular. We must live as true Disciples of Christ every day of the week, in every area of our lives. then, all the baptized belong to a royal priesthood and a holy nation. They share in the Church’s mission of making “disciples of all nations.” They share in Christ’s role as priest, prophet, and king. And they are called to evangelize the world to Christ, renew the temporal order, and minister to the material, spiritual, and social needs of others. Let us ask the Lord to bless all our efforts in the apostolate. And as we come to the table of the Lord’s Body and Blood, let us together offer our whole lives as “spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”(CCC 3, 784, 839, 871-873, 897-913, 1268, 1546, 2038, 2820, 2822).

 

1590 St. Paul said to his disciple Timothy: "I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands" (2 Tim 1:6), and "If any one aspires to the office of bishop, he desires a noble task." (1 Tim 3:1) To Titus he said: "This is why I left you in Crete, that you amend what was defective, and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you" (Titus 1:5).

1591 The whole Church is a priestly people. Through Baptism all the faithful share in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called the "common priesthood of the faithful." Based on this common priesthood and ordered to its service, there exists another participation in the mission of Christ: the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders, where the task is to serve in the name and in the person of Christ the Head in the midst of the community.

1592 The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful. The ordained ministers exercise their service for the People of God by teaching (munusdocendi), divine worship (munusliturgicum) and pastoral governance (munusregendi).