Meditation for April 20, A Priest with Christ

Our baptism makes us one with Christ.

But who is Christ?

The Word of God come upon earth to fulfill a double role, the glorification of the Father and the salvation of the world.

The glorification of the Father is the sacerdotal or Eucharistic character of His role; the salvation of the world, the redemptive character of His role.

To say that our baptism makes us one with Christ is to say in substance that we as baptized Christians share the double mission of our Savior Jesus, both His sacerdotal mission and His redemp­tive mission.

Let us leave our redemptive duties for tomorrow's consideration and meditate today on what concerns our sacerdotal duties.

There is only one priest in the world - Jesus Christ. Here, priest means a person who, although a creature, is capable of giving to God an homage worthy of God which implies that it must have infinite value.

But thanks to my baptism, I am one with this sole priest of the world. The sacerdotal power of a baptized soul is so beautiful that St. Peter does not hesitate to call it royal.

When Christ presents Himself before the Father at each Mass in the same sacrifice as that of the Cross, I, since I am one with Christ, share with Him His role of priest and victim.

I must know myself to understand the sacerdotal character of Jny baptism, my part in the Mass.
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Adapted from Meditations for Religious
by Father Raoul Plus, S.J. (© 1939, Frederick Pustet Co.)