Tending the Flock: The Royal Priesthood

The priesthood is so much more profound in the New Covenant than in the Old because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant required continuous sacrifice and prayer, of which neither did any true, lasting salvific good. The new priesthood involves, in it's most central role, the remembrance of Christ's total gift of himself in the Eucharist, which all of the previous sacrifices only prefigured. While the Levite priests offered sacrifices to the Lord for the expiation of sin, the new priesthood offers the sacrifice of Jesus in thanksgiving for His victory over all sin, His infinite mercy, and His forgiveness.

The purpose of the Catholic priesthood in a nutshell is to shepherd the flock, to proclaim the Word, and ultimately to bring God's children before Him in heaven. There are a great many things that contribute to this final, end result, however. For example, the Sacraments are the channels of grace by which priests are most effectively able to administer God's agape love to his people.

In Baptism, as in all of the Sacraments, the priest is used as the tool by which God brings us into His holy family and wipes away our sins. Reconciliation is a profound means by which God uses the priest to accomplish His divine will through the expiation of sin and the ministry of healing and compassion. The priest's foremost role in the liturgy of the Eucharist (that is, Consecration), is paramount to the spiritual life of the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

Outside of the Sacraments, the priest's role is that of spiritual director, friend, mentor, and leader. Seemingly limited in comparison, these roles are vital to the everyday life of the Church and it's members.

The best way for any of us to take advantage of the priests in our midst, especially in pursuit of salvation, is through the Sacraments. If we attend Mass daily and receive the Eucharist, go to Reconciliation when necessary (probably more often than we like to admit), and encourage other Sacraments like Baptism and Confirmation for those to which it is available, then we can help our brothers in Christ, our shepherds, or priests to fulfill their God-given mission of love.