OUR VOCATION TO PRIESTHOOD

SUNDAY, THIRTIETH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Jer 31:7-9; Ps 126; Heb 5:1-6; Mk 10:46-52

Called to Minister God’s Mercy and Love

We read about the prophecy of Jeremiah for the restoration of the Judah. In the passage, Judah is hailed as the chief of nations because the Lord chose her of all the nations of the world to mediate the promise of Yahweh for the salvation of all peoples. The choice of Yahweh is a privilege for Judah and her people and a responsibility. Because they are to mediate the grace of God for all nations, they must live in faith in Yahweh and reverence his presence, which his promise bestows on them by the word of the promise. This choice they did not merit requires that they put their hope in God for what he promised. Without hope in God’s almighty power to realize what is beyond human ability, what God promised will not be given because of human inability to receive it. The reception of the promise also requires a certain level of charity; the people must love God to achieve a certain level of communion with him. It is the absence of these virtues in the people called to be priestly people for God that he punished them by exile to the land of the North. “See, I will bring them back from the land of the North and gather them from the far ends of the earth; all of them: the blind and the lame, women with children, women in labour: a great company returning here.” The fulfilment of this prophecy will make them put their trust in God

God punished Israel by sending them into exile to prepare them to serve the purpose God chose them. Their exile to the nations and their dwelling among the pagan nations, from among whom God chose their forefathers, was meant to open their minds and hearts again to the word of God. Dwelling among these pagan people, Israel would again cherish the word of God and put their faith and hope in God to restore them to their land. When this happens, they would learn to love God and trust in his promises. “They had left in tears, I will comfort them as I lead them back; I will guide them to streams of water, by a smooth path where they will not stumble. For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born son.” The testimony of Israel when Yahweh delivered them confirmed their feeling of awe and devotion to Yahweh. “When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. The heathens themselves said: ‘What marvels the Lord worked for them!’ What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad.” God gave the people of Israel a priestly vocation they did not merit. God chose them because of the faithfulness of their forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The word of God given to Abraham guided the faithful few and made them serve the purpose for which God chose them in their forefathers.

Just like the Israelites, God called and chose us in Jesus Christ, who saved us from sin and evil so that we may be priestly people unto the Father. This vocation and choice we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ are not only for our good and salvation but to serve as priests of the New Testament, to mediate God’s salvation to others around us. We must have faith, hope, and charity to fulfil this holy role. We must believe in God and his holy word, for without faith, it is impossible to please God. We must hope in God’s fulfilment of the promise of salvation to us and to all those we will minister his will to. We must also love and dedicate our whole being to serving him and doing his holy will daily. Hebrews states the circumstances of our vocation and duty. “Every high priest has been taken out of mankind and is appointed to act for men in their relations with God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins; and so he can sympathise with those who are ignorant or uncertain because he too lives in the limitations of weakness.” Despite our human weaknesses, we must each day believe in God and offer him our sacrifices of prayer and praise, hope in him for our salvation from sin and death, and love him with all our minds, hearts, and strength.

We fulfil our priestly vocation daily as we model our lives on Jesus Christ, guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. To say that God called us to be high priests of his holy religion is another way of saying that we have a vocation to be like Jesus Christ, our heavenly High Priest. The end of our vocation here on earth is to be like him. This cannot be if we lose sight of him or get distracted in the crowd as we journey through life. The story of Bartimaeus has this to teach us. When he learned that Jesus was passing by, he shouted to the Lord for what he needed and did not allow the crowd to distract him. “When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’” The vocation we have received is a mystery, and it entails a journey into the mystery of Jesus Christ. It requires our death so that Jesus may truly live in and through us. Only the grace of God can accomplish this end in us. We pray for the gifts of faith, hope, and charity with the Church.

Let us pray: Almighty ever-living God, increase our faith, hope and charity, and make us love what you command, so that we may merit what you promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.