The Beauty of the Priesthood – Not What We Might Think
November 13, 2024
Fr. John Riccardo
Brothers and sisters: Every priest stands daily at his ministry, offering frequently those same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But this one offered one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God; now he waits until his enemies are made his footstool. For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin
(Hebrews 10:11-14, 18).
Three times in Hebrews it is said that Jesus was “made perfect” (cf. Heb 2:10; 5:9; 7:28). This often causes confusion, as it seems to imply that Jesus was somehow “imperfect” once. Such is not at all the case. The Greek word translated as “made perfect” is what’s used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament for priestly consecration. The author is teaching us that by His passion, death and resurrection, Jesus was consecrated a priest – the true High Priest, who has established genuine communion between us and God, reconciled us to the Father, and opened up for the human race access to God.
This week, Hebrews tells us Jesus has made us “perfect.” This is a way of saying that as believers we have now become priests or, better, sharers in Jesus’ priesthood. This happened at our baptism. While I think most people are aware that baptism makes a person a priest, prophet and king, I don’t think most people understand the significance of these momentous truths. We’ve looked at that in other articles.
What I’d like to look at today, however, is the relationship between the baptismal priesthood that we all share in and the ministerial priesthood that some of us share in by virtue of our ordination. This, too, in my experience, is by and large not well understood. By far the most helpful reflection I’ve come across on this relationship is from Cardinal Albert Vanhoye. In 2008, he gave a retreat to Pope Benedict XVI and others in the Vatican on the Letter to the Hebrews. The following is an excerpt from that retreat, one to which I continually return. I can’t emphasize enough that what follows wasn’t addressed to a small group at an adult education class in a parish; it was addressed to the Pope and other Vatican leaders! I pray this reflection will help us all better understand the beauty of the baptismal priesthood, exhort those of us who have been ordained not to fall into improper ways of thinking and acting, and encourage us all to pray for one another that we may strive to offer our whole selves to the Lord each day.
As we have seen, the Letter to the Hebrews strongly emphasizes the radical newness of the sacrifice and the priesthood of Christ. One aspect of this newness is the openness to participation. The ancient priesthood was not open to anyone for participation. It was founded on a system of sanctification that was characterized by separation. Therefore, it was exclusively reserved to the priests and to the High Priest. When the High Priest entered into the Holy of Holies, no one else could follow or accompany him…Instead, the priesthood of Christ is fully open to participation, because it has been founded on an act of complete fraternal solidarity with us sinners. The Letter to the Hebrews affirms that by his oblation, Christ "has made perfect those who are sanctified" (Hb 10:14) and we have seen that "to make perfect" also means, in the context, "to consecrate as priest". With his oblation, Christ has consecrated as priests those who are sanctified. All Christians now enjoy priestly privileges that are even better privileges than those of the ancient High Priest himself, because they have the full right of entrance into the true Sanctuary, without any limit of time. …
[In 1 Peter 2:5 – “You yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”], St. Peter expresses the doctrine of the baptismal priesthood of all believers which is the principal aspect of the priesthood of the Church. The contrary could be easily presumed, namely, that the more important aspect would be the ministerial or ordained priesthood. However, this is not correct; several magisterial documents have reaffirmed this recently. The ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood. This is its aim. The ministerial priesthood is the means, and it is certainly an indispensable means, that is of fundamental significance. Without the ministerial priesthood, the baptismal priesthood cannot be exercised. However, without the baptismal priesthood of all believers, the ministerial priesthood would lose its meaning. Furthermore, it is necessary to observe that the baptismal priesthood is the priesthood of all the baptized from the smallest to the greatest. We also, who have received the sacrament of Orders, are called to exercise the baptismal priesthood throughout our life, that is, to offer ourselves in union with the offering of Christ. This is an exercise of the baptismal priesthood. In the exercise of our ministerial priesthood, we are called to exercise the baptismal priesthood at the same time.
The exercise of both must go together. When we exercise our ministry, we must also offer ourselves in union with the offering of Christ. For us, the baptismal priesthood is more important than the ministerial priesthood. The ministerial priesthood is the gift of Christ to the Church. It is an extraordinary gift. It is not something that belongs to us personally; nor does it increase our personal value. Like all believers, the most important thing for us is the way in which we offer ourselves. It also needs to be said that, for us, this exercise of the baptismal priesthood takes a specific form, namely, one of pastoral charity. The baptismal priesthood is always an exercise of charity but, for us, pastoral charity is the specific, daily and concrete determination of this exercise. Our lives must unite baptismal and ministerial priesthood. However, it is possible to separate them. Unfortunately, this happens. It is possible for an ordained priest to celebrate the Holy Mass without uniting himself personally to the sacrifice of Christ. In that case, he will have exercised his ministerial priesthood; the Mass will have been valid and will have given to the faithful the possibility of exercising their baptismal priesthood by offering themselves in union with the offering of Christ, but the priest himself will not have exercised it, and this is abnormal; even worse, it is scandalous.
St. Peter concludes that thanks to the resurrection of Jesus, our life is transformed. He says, "Declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy" (cf. 1 Pt 2:9-10). In this way, St. Peter invites us all to live united to the mystery of Christ, in grateful love and in the generous offering of our lives. Let us ask him for the grace to correspond well to this invitation of the Apostle.
ACTS XXIX Prayer Intentions
November 2024
In thanksgiving to God for the mission with the women of Walking with Purpose in Dallas, TX. May seeds sown bear great fruit in their lives.
For the clergy and lay leaders from across the country who will be joining us on campus for a Leadership Immersive.
For our mission with the lovely women with the Seven Sisters Apostolate.
For the pastors working with the Seminary Formation Council who will be joining us on campus for retreat.
For our mission with clergy, lay leaders and seminarians in the Diocese of Spokane.
For a grace-filled Thanksgiving holiday for our Episcopal Advisory Committee, Board members, benefactors, prayer partners and all those running The Rescue Project in their parishes, homes and college campuses.
For God’s protection upon Fr. John Riccardo and the ACTS XXIX family.