Priesthood of the Faithful

This weekend we will host one of our seminarians to speak about the vocation of the ordained priesthood as the Scriptures lead us to reflect upon the priesthood of Jesus and His ministry of gathering people together and healing. The Rite of Ordination instructs that an ordained priest finds the fulfillment of his priesthood by enabling the faithful to live and fulfill their own proper priesthood as the People of God.The strict separation of the ordained priest from the people is not in accord with the best of our theology and the model of Jesus. In our belief and theology the ordained priest does not speak for or act on behalf of the people but acts in the person of Christ as the head of the body. The whole Body, Head and Members, prays and acts. This can be seen in the Eucharistic Prayers where the pronoun “we” is used, and even specified “your people and your ministers”. Together we have been baptized and anointed with the ministry of Jesus and we very much need one another’s witness, support, and encouragement.