In its simplest definition, a priest mediates, he connects people... to God and to one another. Israel was God's "chosen race," a people set apart with a special mission to mediate God's covenant to the nations. Although they failed, the entire nation of Israel was called to be God's "priests."
Jesus fulfills the mission perfectly and becomes "the one mediator between God and man" (1 Timothy 2:5). He extends the peace and freedom of God's kingdom to all the world, and he does it through his Church. In communion with Christ, we've been taken up into his mission. As our first Pope tells us, through baptism we'rethe New Israel, the fulfillment of Jesus' redemptive work. "Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ...you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:4-9).
We are called to mediate God's covenant to the "nations" (i.e. our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers). It of course means evangelization (helping people to encounter the Person of Jesus), but I want to focus on something more basic right now, the soil for fruitful evangelizing efforts.The covenant we mediate is the family of God. it also means that we're community builders. Part of our priestly role is to connect people, to help foster friendships and to grow community. The full beauty of Christ is seen when we encounter his Body, thefamily of God. This happens through fostering friendships and cultivating opportunities for people to get to know one another.
When I think about it, I have a number of friends who've never met. Many of them would probably enjoy one another's company very much; and it could be a tremendous boost to their faith as well. My job, then, is to try and create opportunities for them to get to know each other. I stand as a mediator between them, as the "priest" God has "ordained" to help connect these specific members in the Body of Christ.
Obviously not all of our friends will necessarily hit it off, but many of them might. Share the love, pray for new friendships, and watch what God can do in your community.
Jesus fulfills the mission perfectly and becomes "the one mediator between God and man" (1 Timothy 2:5). He extends the peace and freedom of God's kingdom to all the world, and he does it through his Church. In communion with Christ, we've been taken up into his mission. As our first Pope tells us, through baptism we'rethe New Israel, the fulfillment of Jesus' redemptive work. "Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ...you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:4-9).
We are called to mediate God's covenant to the "nations" (i.e. our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers). It of course means evangelization (helping people to encounter the Person of Jesus), but I want to focus on something more basic right now, the soil for fruitful evangelizing efforts.The covenant we mediate is the family of God. it also means that we're community builders. Part of our priestly role is to connect people, to help foster friendships and to grow community. The full beauty of Christ is seen when we encounter his Body, thefamily of God. This happens through fostering friendships and cultivating opportunities for people to get to know one another.
When I think about it, I have a number of friends who've never met. Many of them would probably enjoy one another's company very much; and it could be a tremendous boost to their faith as well. My job, then, is to try and create opportunities for them to get to know each other. I stand as a mediator between them, as the "priest" God has "ordained" to help connect these specific members in the Body of Christ.
Obviously not all of our friends will necessarily hit it off, but many of them might. Share the love, pray for new friendships, and watch what God can do in your community.
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