1 Pet 2:9-10
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Priesthood is the highest profession of man. No man on earth has the dignity of the Priest who has been anointed in Apostolic succesion to be at the altar and consecrate the bread and wine into the flesh and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Priest offers the Supreme Sacrifice of Christ on the cross in the Holy Mass entering into the very Sacrifice of Jesus in Calvary, transcending time and eternity becoming one with Christ in the offering. Then as a member of the Priesthood of Melchizedec and in imitation of Christ our Lord he shares the bread with the rest of the congregation following faithfully the command of Our Lord.
Saint Peter calls us all a royal priesthood since we are called to participate in the Sacrifice of Christ in the Holy Mass and just as priests to offer Christ to the Heavenly Father in atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world. Even though the laity are not consecrated priests, they enter the Priesthood in a spiritual manner, they are unable to consecrate the species of bread and wine, but in communion with the rest of the Church exalt the Royal Priesthood of Jesus Christ in the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass.
popepapa John Paul II, had the dignity of being a Priest, Bishop, Cardinal and then a popepapa. He served the Priesthood with perfection and he was and will always be a sign of great encouragement for all those with the call to the Religious life and the Priesthood. |
