The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that there are two priesthoods – very different but fundamentally united. Each honors and supports the other in the mission of building the Kingdom of God. We all can easily recognize the sacramental priesthood that includes the men who minister in parishes and diocese throughout the world. They wear special clothes that distinguish them from other roles in society, and the purpose they fulfill is unique to the faith community.
The second priesthood is called “the common priesthood of all the faithful” – that means you and me, all of us together. By virtue of our Baptisms, Catholics become participants in the three-fold mission of Jesus Christ as priest, prophet and king. Each of us is anointed with the same Sacred Chrism that is used in the Rite of Ordination of Priests. We share with the ordained priesthood a co-responsibility for the life, health and growth of the Church. Many of us choose to live out this co-responsibility by engaging in active ministry in our parish communities. Others take a more subtle, but still active, approach by publicly witnessing their faith in their daily lives. The common priesthood can take many forms, each equally critical to our being the people of God.
What does it mean for us to be part of the common priesthood? Priests are given God’s grace to “teach, govern, and sanctify (make holy).” As sharers in Christ’s priestly teaching mission, all of us are called to invite and lead others to the worship of God by evangelizing in our own particular circumstances. Evangelizing doesn’t mean that we constantly quote the Bible in ordinary conversation. We evangelize – share the Good News of our salvation through Jesus Christ – by the way we live. The title of the old hymn kind of says it all: “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love.”
Christ reigns over the Church and the world as King of the Universe. Parents “govern” their families by guiding their children to Christian maturity, assuring they learn virtues, values, manners and limits and intentional care for others. The Rite of Baptism reminds parents they are the first teachers of faith for their children. Baptism into the common priesthood obligates parents to foster a homelife centered on God, where prayer and worship are an ordinary part of the family’s daily activity, and where faith animates and enlivens all other family activities.
Priests bless and make things holy. Priests call others and lead them in the worship of God. Each of us is called to the same mission in whatever circumstance or state of life we find ourselves. God’s grace, received and nourished through the Sacraments of the Church, fills our hearts with such love and joy that it should overflow into the world for all to see. Through our witness of joy and charity, others will see Christ in us, hopefully opening their hearts to want what they see in us.
How can we live out our baptismal vocation to the common priesthood of all the faithful? Here are a few helpful hints:
- Be sure that daily prayer and reading of Sacred Scripture are part of your family’s ordinary routine. Pray together as a family at meals, the start and end of each day, on the way to and from family events and activities. Smartphone apps like Laudete, Hallow, Formed or The God Minute can be helpful.
- Pray the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass along with the priest on the altar. Most parishes have missals in the pews that contain the Eucharistic Prayers. Instead of letting our minds wander as the priest offers sometimes unfamiliar and confusing words, read along, seek to better understand, and join in the sacrificial offer that is being made on our behalf.
- Make time to attend Mass regularly and together as a family. Too often, being pulled in different directions by our children’s activities, families may need to split up when participating at Mass. Try at least once a month to schedule yourselves to participate in Mass all together, maybe going out for breakfast afterward to share thoughts on your experience of the Mass.
- Invite someone you know has not been to Mass in a while to join you and your family. This is a great way of exercising your priestly vocation by evangelizing and leading others to worship. It can be scary to step out of our comfort zones like this, so here is a website that may help you build confidence: www.catholicscomehome.org/invite-others-home.
Mark Russoniello is parish catechetical leader in St. Robert Bellarmine Co-Cathedral, Freehold.
Faith at Home is a monthly column coordinated by the Diocese of Trenton’s Departments of Catechesis, Evangelization and Family Life, and Youth and Young Adult Ministry. For additional Faith at Home resources, visit dioceseoftrenton.org/faith-at-home.