FROM THE SERVANT GENERAL
OUR THEME FOR 2020
(Part 59)
PRIEST, PROPHET AND KING
July 23, 2020
Today’s gospel: Jeremiah 1:1-13
To withstand the buffeting of floods and winds, our house must be built on rock. To be built on rock is to listen to and act on the words of Jesus. He is the Rock. Now Jesus’ words are there in the Bible for us to read and apply to our lives. But there is also need for Church leaders who can help us understand Jesus’ words and pastorally accompany us in the journey.
All Catholics by virtue of Baptism share in the ministry of Jesus as priest, prophet and king. This is all the more so for those who have been given by God the authority to pastor the flock. If Church leaders do not live out their vocation as priest, prophet and king, then the flock is led astray and even lost.
This was the sorry situation of Israel. God chose them as His favored people. God entered into covenant with them. “Israel was dedicated to the Lord” (v.3a). God blessed them and prospered them. But they turned away from Him. “I brought you into the garden land to eat its fine fruits, but you entered and defiled my land, you turned my heritage into an abomination.” (v.7). God seemed totally incredulous that Israel would do what it did. “What fault did your ancestors find in me that they withdrew from me, went after emptiness, and became empty themselves?” (v.5).
Certainly the people themselves were at fault. But blame is also very much at the feet of their leaders, who did not pastor, guide, correct, lead and rebuke them. These leaders failed in being priest, prophet and king.
- As priest. “The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ The experts of the law did not know me” (v.8a).
- As prophet. “The prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after useless idols.” (v.8c).
- As king. “The shepherds rebelled against me” (v.8b).
Today we face the same situation in our Church.
- Many priests have turned away from God, engaging in homosexual depravity. Many clerics have turned God’s law upside down, justifying and welcoming irregular unions. Bishops have not rebuked erring clerics, and instead hide or remain silent about their misdeeds. Many Church leaders engage in social justice works but neglect matters of righteousness, focusing on such things as immigration or climate change while ignoring abortion and LGBT.
- Clerics, especially the bishops, together with lay Church leaders, have not exercised their prophetic role, especially in calling out evil in the lives of people and in the world. In the face of many prominent Catholics, including politicians, being rabidly pro-abortion and pro-LGBT, Church leaders have remained silent, not correcting them, and at times even manifesting acceptance of the wrong they do.
- Those in the Church hierarchy, who should shepherd the flock, have not properly acted as kings or servant leaders. They have allowed modernism to enter the Church. They have allowed confusion to reign among the people. They have overturned age-old teachings, such as homosexuality being intrinsically disordered. They have given a voice in Church fora to those who oppose the teachings of the Church, including atheists, secular humanists and gender ideologues.
Is it any wonder then that our Church is weakening, that we are losing Catholics by the day, that Judeo-Christian principles and values are being lost, that our house might even be in danger of collapsing? We may not be able to withstand the onslaughts against us.
Many in our Church have embraced the gods of modernism, secular humanism and liberalism. God accused Israel: “Does any other nation change its gods?—even though they are not gods at all! But my people have changed their glory for useless things.” (v.11). What a stupid exchange! But Christians are making this exchange all the time! The world is going to the brink, closer to an ugly end. And many Christians, including Church leaders, are going with them. “Be horrified at this, heavens; shudder, be appalled—oracle of the Lord.” (v.12).
There is great evil in the world today, and Christians have been part of that evil. They have looked to themselves and to idols of the world, and forsaken the true God. “Two evils my people have done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; they have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (v.13). People have moved from dependence on God to dependence on themselves. They have turned away from God’s provisions and turned to providing for themselves. They have cut themselves away from God’s life-giving waters and relied on cisterns that have run dry.
We as MFC, as baptized Catholics, especially our leaders, must live out our vocation as priest, prophet and king. And for our house to stand, we must listen to and act on the words of Jesus. “Listen to the word of the Lord, house of Jacob! All you clans of the house of Israel” (v.4).