PARISHOF

ST TERESA

LENTEN REFLECTIONON

OUR BAPTISMAL CHARACTER

WE ARE PROPHETS IN CHRIST

At his Baptism, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit: Lk 3:21-22; 4:18-19.

At our baptism, we were marked with oil (Chrism) as a sign that we are consecrated to God and anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Our anointing also was a sign that we are joined to Christ and share in his threefold mission as priest, prophet and king.

This triple office and mission is therefore best grasped within the understanding of Christ and his Church.

CHURCHMYSTERY PRIEST MINISTER

OFSAC

LITURGY/WORSHIP

COMMUNION KING LEADER/BUILDER

FELLOW-SHIP

MISSION PROPHET TEACHER LEARNINGAND

SERVICE

CHURCHTHROUGH BAPTISMTHROUGH PRIESTLY ORDINATIONLIFE IN THE COMMUNITY

A PROPHET:

A prophet is not a “future-teller” and certainly not a “fortune-teller”.

A prophet is a “forth-teller”. He or she speaks in the here and now.

A prophet is a messenger sent by God, a person who speaks for God.He or she witnesses to God, calls the people to conversion, and may also spell out the future consequences of a refusal to live out the way of God.

Essentially, a prophet reflects the lived situation of God’s people and interpret what the Lord is speaking to them at that moment.

Prophets in ancient Israel confronted leaders with the fact that they were not doing what they were supposed to, or what they were doing was wrong and not in harmony with God’s way for human beings to live.

Prophets live a good news/bad news lifestyle of giving comfort to those who need it, but also rendering God’s judgment in a way that often challenged society.

A prophet must also humbly reflect on his/her own sinfulness.

A prophet’s life is difficult and dangerous; prophets are often maltreated and sometimes even done away with!!

Jesus fits this description.- He is none other than the Word of God in the flesh.- He is the Word that is spoken and he speaks the Word.

Jesus was not merely a messenger of revelation from God (like all other prophets), but was himself the source of revelation from God. Rather than, “Thus says the Lord”, Jesus says, “But I say to you….” (Mt 5:22, 26, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44).- He called the world to turn from sin and return to the Father and was put to death for it.- In Scripture Jesus is presented as a prophet:

- crowds identified him as ‘Jesus the prophet’ (Mt 21:11)

- he spoke of himself as a prophet (Lk 4:24).- he spoke of his impending suffering, death,

resurrection.

Sharing in Jesus’ Prophetic Office

Closely aligned to the office of the priest is the office of the prophet.

It is, for example, within the Eucharistic celebration that bishops and priests are anointed to proclaim the prophetic word of God.

Similarly, lay men and women often sanctify others through their prophetic words and examples (cf Lumen Gentium, 35):

Christ is the great prophet who proclaimed the kingdom of the Father both by testimony of his life and by the power of his word.

Until the full manifestation of his glory, he fulfills this prophetic office, not only by the hierarchy who teach in his name and by his power, but also by the laity.

He accordingly both establishes them as witnesses and provides them with the appreciation of the faith (sensus fidei) and the grace of the word so that the power of the Gospel may shine out in daily family and social life….. Let them not hide their hope, then, in the depths of their hearts, but rather express it through the structure of their secular lives in continual conversion and in the wrestling “against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of iniquity” (Eph 6:12).

COFFEE BREAK

While lay men and women, by sharing in Jesus’ prophetic office, are called to speak anointed words to their brothers and sisters in Christ and so nurture the holiness of His body, let us focus on a few situations where the office of prophet is especially significant and important today.

The First PointBecause bishops and priests exercise their prophetic office primarily within a liturgical setting, their audience is primarily composed of those who are already members of the Church. Likewise, it is often the case that bishops and priests do not have many opportunities to evangelise those who are not Christian. This is not the case with lay men and women.

By the very nature of their lives lay men and women are often in continual contact with those who do not believe in Jesus or whose faith is uninformed or devoid of a mature commitment.

“This evangelisation, that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life, acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world” (LG 35).

The Second PointSharing in Jesus’ prophetic office in marriage and family life.

“The state of life that is sanctified by a special sacrament, namely, married and family life, has a special importance in this prophetic office...… In it the married partners have their own proper vocation: they must be witnesses of faith and love of Christ to one another and to their children” (LG 35).

Parents have the primary responsibility to educate their children in the faith.Parents should not underestimate their prophetic anointing in this regard.The catechetical education that parents provide their children bears the imprint of the Holy Spirit and will bear the Spirit’s fruit.

The Third PointChrist’s prophetic ministry must be exercised within the workplace.For many people in today’s world, it is only in that setting that they may have the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, if they do not hear it from lay people like yourselves from whom will they hear it?While many people may shy away from the Catholic Church, there is no better way to make contact with it than through kind, knowledgeable, vibrant lay men and women.

This prophetic ministry is expressed by Christian witness of love, justice, honesty, truth and integrity.

The Fourth PointSchool and College students must be on the frontline of prophetic ministry with the school and college.

They are the ones who share their lives most closely with their fellow students, who are non-believing or half-hearted.

They can testify to the fullness of truth in the manner of their life and relationships within the structures, context and experience of ongoing learning.

Parents can be an encouraging power to t heir children’s prophetic witness.

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