PRIESTHOOD OF THE FAITHFUL

First Friday GatheringAkron, Ohio

Michael H. Crosby, OFMCap.September 7, 2012

TWO POLES ON THE CONTINUUM OF OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CHURCH• Matthew 10:1-4; 28:16-20; 16:

17-19• Church as Organization

established by Jesus Christ• “Church” as What / Us-Them• “Church” as the Pope, the

Vatican and Bishops: “The Church invites her children”

• Ordination as key element; separation from laity

• Hierarchy that is only male• Obedience to leaders represen-

ting “Mt. 16” magisterium as sign of fidelity to “the church”

• Eucharist as action of the ordained priests

• Luke 4:18-19; Acts 2:1-4, 17-21; Rom. 12: 3-8

• Church as Organism of the living members of Christ

• “Church” as a Who / We• “Church” as the Community of

Disciples: The Church gathered with its leaders

• Baptism as the key identifier of “belonging”

• Holarchy: The Gifts of the Spirit• The body dependent on mutual

cooperation of all (Mt. 16 & 18)• Eucharist as the full participa-

tion of everyone—priests and people

THE UNIVERSAL PRIESTHOOD OF ALL THOSE WHO ARE BAPTIZED

“Christ the Lord, High Priest taken from among the people (cf. Heb. 5:1-5), ‘made a kingdom and priests to God his Father “ (Rev. 1:6; cf. 5:9-10) out of this new people. The baptized, by regeneration and anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated into a spiritual house an a holy priesthood.” They:1. Offer spiritual sacrifices and proclaim with power2. Should present themselves as spiritual sacrifices3. Must give evidence of the faith in them (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).

Lumen Gentium, 10

THE UNIVERSAL PRIESTHOOD OF ALL THOSE WHO ARE BAPTIZED

“Though they differ from one another in essence and not only in degree, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are nonetheless interrelated. Each of them in its own special way is a participation in the one priesthood of Christ.1. The ministerial priest, by the sacred power he enjoys,

molds and rules the priestly people.2. Acting in the person of Christ, he brings about the

Eucharistic Sacrifice . . .3. For their part, the faithful join in the offering of the

Eucharist by virtue of their royal priesthood.” Lumen Gentium, 10

“It is necessary to improve pastoral structures in such a way that the co-responsibility of all the members of the People of God in their entirety is gradually promoted, with respect for vocations and for the respective roles of the consecrated and of lay people. This demands a change in mindset, particularly concerning lay people. They must no longer be viewed as "collaborators" of the clergy but truly recognized as "co-responsible", for the Church's being and action, thereby fostering the consolidation of a mature and committed laity. This common awareness of being Church of all the baptized in no way diminishes the responsibility of parish priests. It is precisely your task, dear parish priests, to nurture the spiritual and apostolic growth of those who are already committed to working hard in the parishes.” 05.26.09

POPE BENEDICT ON RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL IN THE CHURCH www.vatican.va/.../benedict_xvi/.../hf_ben-xvi_spe_20090526_conv...

PRIESTLY PROPHETIC POLITICAL CULTIC WORD/GOSPEL SOCIETAL

ALL THOSE BAPTIZED IN CHRISTSHARE IN ALL THREE MISSIONS

THE ORDAINEDPRIESTS TO

BE A SIGN TO ALL OF THEIR

PRIESTLY IDENTITY

LAY PEOPLES’ WITNESS TO BE IN

THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL

SPHERES OF SOCIETY

RELIGIOUS LIFE TO SERVE AS

“CRITIQUE” OF ABERRATIONS IN

OTHER ROLES

THREEFOLD MISSION of JESUS CHRIST

Considering the fact that the prophetic, priestly and royal condition is common to all the People of God (cf. LG 9, 10, 34, 35, 36), it seems useful to outline the competency of religious authority, paralleling it by analogy to the three-fold function of pastoral ministry, namely, of teaching, sanctifying and governing without, however, confusing one authority with the other or equating them. Directives for the Mutual Relations Between Bishops and Religious in the Church, 1978, 13

Christ was a true and effective priest because he was full of the power of the Holy Spirit, he was the culmination of all the fullness of the love of God "on the night he was betrayed," precisely in the "hour of darkness" (cf. Luke 22:53) . . . This is the work of the priesthood of Christ, which the Church has inherited and continues to perpetuate, in the twofold form of ordinary priesthood of the baptized and that of the ordained ministers, to transform the world with the love of God. All, priests and faithful, are nourished by the same Eucharist . . . Pope Benedict XVI, Corpus Christ Homily, 2010

“Episcopal consecration has con-ferred upon you the fullness of the sacrament of Orders which, in the ecclesial community, is placed at the service of the common priest-hood of the faithful, of their spiritu-al growth and of their holiness.”

September 15, 2011

POPE BENEDICT TO BISHOPSwww.vatican.va/...father/benedict_xvi/.../hf_ben-xvi_spe_20110915...

The purpose and mission of ministerial priesthood, in fact, is to enliven the priesthood of the faithful, who, by virtue of Baptism, share in their own way in the one priesthood of Christ, as the Conciliar Constitution Lumen Gentium says: "The common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are none the less ordered one to another; each in its own proper way shares in the one priesthood of Christ" (n. 10). For this reason it is the task of bishops to watch over the baptized and work to enable them to develop in grace and in accordance with the charisms that the Holy Spirit awakens in their hearts and in their communities. The Second Vatican Council recalled that while the Holy Spirit unifies "the Church in communion and in the works of ministry, he bestows upon her varied hierarchic and charismatic gifts... and adorns her with his fruits" (cf. ibid., n. 4).

Pope Benedict XVI to Recently Appointed Prelates, 09.15.11

The Bishops’ Role: Nurture PriesthoodThe fundamental gift that you are called to nurture in the faithful entrusted to your pastoral care is first and foremost that of divine filiation, which is the participation of each person in Trinitarian communion. The essential is that we truly become sons and daughters in the Son. Baptism which makes human beings "sons in the Son" and members of the Church, is the root and source of all the other charismatic gifts. With your ministry of sanctification you teach the faithful to participate ever more intensely in the prophetic and royal office of Christ, helping them to build the Church in accordance with the gifts received from God, in an active and co-responsible way. In fact, we must always bear in mind that the gifts of the Spirit, whether they are extraordinary or simple and humble, are always given freely for the edification of all. The Bishop, as a visible sign of the unity of his particular Church (cf. ibid., n. 23), has the task of unifying and harmonizing charismatic diversity in the unity of the Church, encouraging reciprocity between the hierarchical priesthood and the baptismal priesthood.

09.15.11

NEW MENTALITY NEEDED FOR ALL“Co-responsibility requires a change in mentality, particularly with regard to the role of the laity in the Church, who should be considered not as “collabora-tors” with the clergy, but as persons truly “co-respo-nsible” for the being and activity of the Church. It is important, therefore, that a mature and committed laity be united, who are able to make their own specific contribution to the Church’s mission, in accordance with the ministries and tasks each one has in the life of the Church, and always in cordial communion with the bishops.”

Pope Benedict XVI, August 24, 2012

ECHRISTOLOGY

CHURCH AS COMMUNITY

CHURCH ASSERVANT

CHURCH AS WORD-PROCLAIMER

CHURCH ASSACRAMENT

CHURCH ASINSTITUTION

CHURCH AS FAMILY

CHURCH AS BELIEVERS IN EXILE

CHURCH ASCOMMUNITYOF DISCIPLES

ECCLESIOLOGY

ECCLESIOLOGY

CHURCH AS SACRAMENT: THE THEOLOGY OF EUCHARIST IN JOHN

“There is a boy here, who has five loaves of

barley bread and fish. But what

good are they for all these people?”

WHAT DO WE BRING TO THE EUCHARIST FOR NEEDY PEOPLE AROUND US

THAT JESUS WILL USE SO THAT HE CAN TAKE, BLESS, BREAK AND GIVE IT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF “THE CROWD”?

In John’s Gospel, Jesus did not “do what he did” without the boy providing him the means to

“DO THIS.”

JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND

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TODAYWITH WHAT

WE DO TO

FEED THE

CROWD

http://i126true015010400260250250imagesheaderSetrueheader134311798a249ed8true1343117962a44efbhttp://i942134311792069920ahttp://i942134311792069920a134311792069920ahttp://i94213431179

AND SHARE WHAT WE HAVE WITH THE CROWD WE

WILL NOT BE OFFERING THE BREAD OF OUR

PRIESTLY LIVES IN THE MODEL OF

JESUS

“

UNLESS WE BECOME LIKE THE CHILD

FOUR FORMS OF THE

REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE EUCHARIST

“In the celebration of Mass, in which the Sacrifice of the Cross is perpetuated,

CHRIST IS REALLY PRESENT• in the very assembly gathered in his name;• in the person of the minister,• in his word,• and indeed substantially and permanently

under the Eucharistic species. GIRM II, I, 27

CHURCHWe Belong

THE BODY OF CHRISTWe are members of

EUCHARIST We are in it

THE ONLY WAY JESUS CHRIST IS REALLY PRESENT TODAY,

INCLUDING HIS EUCHARISTIC PRESENCE,

IS BY BEING IN COMMUNION WITH US AS THE HEAD OF HIS MYSTICAL BODY, THE CHURCH.

WHEN WE ASSEMBLE AS AN OBSERVABLE BODY OF BELIEVERS WE ARE THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST:

THE EUCHARIST CAN BEGIN

WOMEN’S SCRIPTURE REFLECTION GROUP 08.07.12

Our Savior has made us to offer acceptable sacrifice to the Father. Let us call upon him in gratitude: Preserve us in your ministry, Lord.Christ, eternal priest, you conferred the holy priesthood on your people, grant that we may offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to the FatherIn your goodness pour out on us the fruits of your Spirit, patience, kindness and gentleness.May we love you and possess you, for you are love, and may every action of our lives praise you.May we seek those things which are beneficial to our brothers and sisters, without counting the cost, to help them on the way to salvation.

NEW MENTALITY NEEDED FOR ALL“Co-responsibility requires a change in mentality, particularly with regard to the role of the laity in the Church, who should be considered not as “collabora-tors” with the clergy, but as persons truly “co-respo-nsible” for the being and activity of the Church. It is important, therefore, that a mature and committed laity be united, who are able to make their own specific contribution to the Church’s mission, in accordance with the ministries and tasks each one has in the life of the Church, and always in cordial communion with the bishops.”

Pope Benedict XVI, August 24, 2012