My Dear People,

Thank you to all who participated in the procession of Corpus Christi last Sunday.

Jesus had observed that the people of Israel in His time were “like sheep without a shepherd.” They were God’s sheep, as in Psalm 100; but the “shepherds” they had were unfaithful! The Herodian kings were impostors, and the chief priests were political appointees without the proper pedigree. So, Jesus responded by providing “shepherds” for a reconstituted people of Israel. These “shepherds” are the Apostles.

There are twelve of them, representative of the twelve Tribes gathered at Sinai. Furthermore, the Apostles are granted the status of priests and kings. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI pointed out, the priestly status is most clear in Mark’s account of this event, which says Jessus “made twelve,” taking up the terminology of the Old Testament for the appointment of priests, who were “made” (1 Kings 12:31; 13:33).

But the royal status is also present, as we can see by comparing this account with 1 Kings 4:7-18: “Solomon had twelve governors over all of Israel (...) their names were: “the son of Hur...” then follows the list of princes or viceroys (i.e., deputy kings) that Solomon appointed over all of Israel.

Likewise, Jesus appoints twelve new “officers” and sends them out to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” to declare “the kingdom has arrived.” The Apostles are the royal officers proclaiming the restoration of the kingdom of David, which is the kingdom of God (see 1 Ch. 28:5; 2 Chr. 13:8). Jesus gives them “authority” over “unclean spirits” and to “cure every disease.” In other words, He authorized them to heal soul and body. The Church has been doing this ever since, through the Sacraments and corporal works of mercy, expressed now in hospitals and the Catholic health care system.

The Apostles are both priests and kings! This royal priesthood also extends to their successors, the Bishops, who obviously perform a priestly role by celebrating the holy sacrifice, which is the Eucharist, but also have the trappings of royalty in their miters and their cathedras (chair—where the name cathedral comes from). Bishops, as successors of the Apostles, rule and sanctify the royal-priestly people of God. But we, too, who have been baptized with Christ, share in His royal priesthood, and, to us are restored the privileges of Adam, since Christ is the New Adam. Thus, the Catechism describes our priestly and royal status (CCC 900-909).

In Christ, what Israel failed to receive at the foot of Sinai because they broke the covenant with the Golden calf—and dozens of times afterwards as well—has been granted to the Church, which Peter calls a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2; 9). Our royalty is expressed in governing our circumstances according to the Law of God and extending the rule of Christ to the extent of our circle of personal influence. Our priesthood is expressed when offering to God our “bodies” as Paul describes it (Rom. 12:1), the substance of our lives, all the “prayers, works, joys, and sufferings” of each day, according to a traditional prayer. St Josemaria said:

You cannot forget that nay worthy, noble and honest work at the human level can—and should—be raised to the supernatural level, becoming a divine task.

Live and work for God, with a spirit of love and service, with a priestly soul... then all your actions will take on a genuine supernatural meaning.

[Source Reflections on Sunday Readings for Year A by Dr. John Bergdsma]

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente