“But you are a ‘chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises’ of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9, New Living Translation). Since Catholics are united to the mystical Body of Christ by virtue of Baptism, they also share in Christ’s threefold office of priest, prophet, and king. The word “priest” typically draws to mind the picture of ordained pious and holy men robed in liturgical garments hearing Confessions or offering Mass. While the “priesthood” is used to refer to the ordained who administer the sacraments, the Church is calling to mind another aspect of the priesthood that all the faithful share by virtue of their Baptism: the common priesthood of the faithful. Since the common priesthood is a fundamental aspect of the Catholic Faith, it is crucial to understand what it is and how it is to be lived out in the Christian vocation.

In order to understand how all Catholics share in the priesthood, it is first necessary to understand who a priest actually is. In the most basic sense, a priest is someone who offers a sacrifice to God on behalf of or for the sake of others. A priest can also be thought of as a mediator between God and man. The ministerial or “official” priesthood carries out the priestly function of Christ in a special way and cannot be overlooked. However, all baptized Christians can participate in the common priesthood. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that all good deeds, if offered up to the Lord, “become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” The Catechism continues, declaring, “In the celebration of the Eucharist these [sacrifices] may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the Body of the Lord. And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God…” (CCC 901). Therefore, the common priesthood is to make offerings through Jesus to the Father for the sake of others.

Since all Catholics share in Christ’s priesthood, it is vital for them to understand the role it plays in their vocation. Father Mike Schmitz, in his podcast Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz, describes that each person has a threefold vocation or call from God and that the first vocation of all peoples is the universal call to holiness. The universal call to holiness, as stipulated by the two Great Commandments, is “love the Lord your God with all your heart…,” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31, New American Bible). In order to carry out the second of the two great commandments, it is necessary for Catholics to actively participate in the universal priesthood. To make an offering for the sake of another means to show your family love even when it is hard. It means to be patient with your sibling or co-worker. It means to respect your parents, to give a smile to the person walking on the sidewalk, to listen to others respectfully, to pray for others, and to show understanding and compassion to those who frustrate you. It means to stand up for the persecuted, to advocate for the unborn, to fight for justice and freedom, to never back down from proclaiming your faith, and to never be afraid to die to yourself to show to others the love and mercy of God. Quite plainly, to participate in the common priesthood of the faithful in any Christian vocation is to give Christ to the world.

That is what the priesthood of the faithful means. It doesn’t necessarily mean to be ordained and to hear confession and to say Mass. It doesn’t necessarily mean to shut yourself away in a convent somewhere. It doesn’t mean that you can never leave your room and have to say Hail Marys all the time. The priesthood of the faithful means that you must never be afraid, must never hesitate to bring Christ to others, and must share what Christ has given to you with the world.

Bibliography:

Catechism of the Catholic Church. Second Edition. 1997. Print.

Laux, John. Mass and the Sacraments. A Course in Religion, book II. TAN Books. 1990. Print.

Schmitz, Mike. 10/29/23 Lost: Love Is the Way. Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz. Ascension Press. 2023. Web. Accessed 11/03/2023. https://fathermikehomilies.fireside.fm/102823