That having been said, the tone and content of the posts will be for the greater part that of a Catholic man sharing aspects of his life journey with other Catholic men, with the prayer that we are all drawn closer to Christ in the process. Whoever you are, you are welcome to take from it what helps you on your own journey.
In my mind's ear, I can hear someone saying "Who do these guys think they are?" ~ Or ~ "They must be pretty full of themselves....." Eventually, someone will surely will think this way. So it strikes me that this week's Gospel reading (LK 4:21 - 30) is amazingly appropriate for the beginning of such an endeavor. Jesus's words haunt me: "Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place."
Did I just hear someone say "Prophet? - Who does this guy think he is?"
I'll ignore that for the moment.
Fun fact: Did you know that you are a priest? Yes, You! I kid you not. According to the catechism of the Catholic Church,
Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church “a kingdom, priests for his God and Father” The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ’s mission as priest, prophet, and king (CCC, 1546).Need a biblical reference? Go ahead, look it up: Revelation 1:6, also 5:9–10; 1 Peter 2:5,9.
(*Important note: This is not to be confused with the ordained, ministerial priesthood, but it is the common priesthood that we all have a share in.)
So you are also a prophet and king, since by right of your baptism alone you have a share in Christ's mission.
Personally, I find in the hearing of this a knee jerk reaction: "I'm not a priest - I'm certainly no prophet, and what a pretty poor excuse for a king, I am....." How much more native a place can I be in if not my own heart? Is this not the first and biggest hurdle to get over if any one of us is going to accept God's plan for our lives? Are we to be like Jonah, running in the opposite direction from where we are sent, or are we to walk boldly in the footsteps of or Lord?
The reason we chose pen names is in part to provide an aspect of mystery to the blog, but mostly because it begs the question "who are these guys?" The answer is of course, "I am the guy sitting next to you in church. The person two cars over in traffic. I am the man standing in line behind you at the checkout. I am who YOU are."
The question is not "Who do these guys think they are:" the real question is "who do YOU think you are?" And here's another important question: are you willing to accept this prophet that Christ called you to be when you were baptized? You may ask "How am I supposed to be a prophet?" That's a good question: and I'm sorry, but I don't know the answer to that. I struggle with accepting it myself. The Church teaches us:
The laity act prophetically when they speak the truth, and live the Gospel by example before their families, neighbors, and co-workers. Their mission is “accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world” (CCC, 905).
I think, maybe - just maybe - I can do THAT. So on behalf of my brothers; the Pilgrim, The Older Brother, Bernard of Claivaux, and Anonymous, I invite you to join us on our journey as we Follow Christ......
Peace, Brothers -
+ Theophilus
